BennyEast.Com/Blog The official blog of Kenny West

31Aug/160

Quizzo

So, tomorrow night I'm going to quizzo.  I haven't actually clicked "I'm going" on the meetup thing.  I'll just show up again.  I'll probably just have like 1 or 2 beers and get some food and just hang out for a bit.  It's mostly just an excuse to increase my exposure to possibly meeting more people.

I feel like the more I go out, and the more I just bump into people, the more likely I am to actually meet a girl and then have that blossom into a relationship of some sort.

I'm still on dating sites, but those are just rough for sure.  And there's no one at work... everyone  I work with is already married and they all have a million ideas as to where to meet that special someone.  They try to tell you their own story.  Then I try to replicate that story...

And nothing.

"Oh, you have to go to this place."

I go.  There's not a single girl in the place.  All of them are married, and have kids.  Or at least have a significant other already.  Big fat rings on their fingers already with diamonds the size of your face.

"Well, have you tried going to this, or that?"

I try this or that.  I talk to one or two girls but they are not interested.  Or they were just about to be leaving.

"Maybe you need to go here.  Or there."

I try that too.  I mean, I just left yoga.  All of those girls are either married or have boyfriends, and the ones that are single?  They REALLY aren't interested in chatting.  It's that whole, one word answer.  You tell a joke and they don't laugh.  You ask a question and they just kind of give you an answer.  "That's nice."

So much for all of that.

Anyways, so tomorrow is quizzo.  Friday night is West Chester.  Sunday I'm going to see about going to this one event that is another food truck thing.  It's in central/northern NJ.  So we'll see about that.

Just have to keep going to events and things.  As well just have to keep at the dating site stuff.  Lots and lots of girls won't even give you the time of day.  Lots of them might respond with very short answers or give you that one word answer thing.

Just takes one girl though.  So, even if 10 thousand girls say no.  If just ONE girl decides to give me a shot.  That's all it takes to end up having it turn into the whole relationship thing and then the whole moving in together, and then eventually getting married one day and all that.

You know... The stuff everyone dreams about.  Marriage, house, kids.... Etc. etc.

It'll happen one day.  Just have to keep hoping and hanging in there until I cross paths with her.  Most of it is just dumb luck.  It's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time and then there she'll be and we'll just click.

For now I just keep going to events and starting conversations on dating sites that fizzle out.

She's out there somewhere.  And eventually, it won't fizzle.  It will just keep growing and going and our love will continue on and on until we end up doing that whole "I do" thing in front of all our friends and family and then we'll dance the night away at the wedding reception.  Just have to keep hoping!

So hey, who knows, maybe she'll be at quizzo tomorrow night.  And if not, maybe she'll be at one of the other events that I have planned.  Never know where any of us could meet "the one".  And you don't know when either.  They could be JUST around the bend, or I might not meet her for another 2 or 3 years.  So who knows.  Just have to keep going and doing and waiting for her to walk into my life no matter how much I wish she'd just hurry up and cross paths with me already.  Just have to be patient.

 

Filed under: Stuffs No Comments
31Aug/160

Who The Person Is Can Matter

Today I was in a conversation with my one coworker about my one friend from highschool.  I found out that she married a guy from Shazam.  Yeah, that Shazam.  And not just like... Some low level programmer guy (not that there's anything wrong with being a low level programmer guy!  You gotta start somewhere), but she married basically, one of the early people, I'm not 100 percent sure if he was a founder, but he was in pretty early on and he's pretty up there.   The point is, he's a stand up guy that works hard and has a lot going for him.  He's leaving Shazam though to start a new chapter in his life for the better.  New, bigger and better things.

But the conversation leaned towards... Who you marry does matter, because it changes your whole life.  It changes your whole direction in life.  Sometimes it can be substantially life changing in an instant.

For example with my highschool friend when she first moved to LA her Facebook posts and photos were drastically different before that one night that she was out at a bar and just happened to be standing next to her future husband.  Then they started chatting.  And the rest is history.

Her Facebook turned from, a 20 something that was just trying to make a living wage in LA, just making enough to get by and pay rent and afford student loans and groceries.... And afford life to...

Photos at country clubs.  Boats.  Etc. etc.

And now they are married with kids.

Let's rewind and say she didn't meet him.  Let's say she met another guy.  Maybe a social worker (not that there's anything wrong with social workers, but she'd just be in a different place in life, she wouldn't be driving the same car she is now).  Maybe someone who just immigrated to the US from another country and has a very low education level just because he hasn't had a chance to go to a nice school because in the country he was from it just wasn't an option and she married him and the only job he can get for the time being is working at a diner, and while he's doing that he's going to school part time to finish his college degree.

Her life would certainly be drastically different than it is now.  Yes, obviously none of that matters if you love the person and don't care about any of the externalities.  But it is a very different experience in life marrying someone that takes you out for brunch and mimosas on Sundays versus someone that is just trying to figure out how to make enough money to afford rent.

I mean, there's a lot to be said about who you marry, and even who you are born to.  I recognize that I've been given a VERY great gift just by being born to my mom.  I'm VERY privileged as far as people on this planet go.  But here's the thing, whoever I end up marrying, she will also share that.

Obviously love is important.  And you can't help who you fall for.  That's the entire premise of the Spin Doctors song, "Two Princes".  Sometimes you do have a great guy that is up to their ears and eyeballs in debt.  And sometimes you have a jerk guy that can buy a new car monthly and not think twice about it.

My job is to be both a great guy (to my future wife) and be able to have the added bonus of what my mom and grandparents provided me with.  SO that me and her can provide our children with that.  Because that's the idea.  It's not about just being the solo person... It's about being one cohesive unit.  A family team.

I mean, most families are like that.  Think about any major trip you went on or cruise in the last 5 years.  Who paid the bill?  Where did that money come from?  Mom or dad?  Or sibling maybe?  If not, that's awesome.  If it was 100 percent paid for by the salary from your job... That's AWESOME.  But sometimes things are not.  If you can recall in the last 5 years going on a cruise and you not paying the bill for that cruise... That's an incredible gift.

Sometimes things in your life, like bills, or a trip, or a cruise are paid for simply because of who you know, who you are born to, or who you marry.  It's just the way it is.

It's a strange concept.  To work SO hard to get where you want to be on your own.  Ideally everyone works for their own bread and butter.  But that's just not always the case.  Sometimes you collide paths with someone and then all of a sudden your life is different and now, just like my highschool friend, she's no longer worried about rent.  She's no longer worried about groceries.  She's worried about different things like buying the right car that will be safe for her kids.

I mean, in my case, whoever I end up marrying, the day we tie that knot... Her finances, simply because of what is written on a piece of paper, change.  Her name gets added as one of the beneficiaries of my share of the trust.

So, if she'd been going sleepless nights worrying about, let's say, 50 grand of student loans.... The day we get married, I can request to have those loans paid for her.

That's a CRAZY concept!  If we never meet, whoever this future girl is, she would have to work and make monthly payments to that loan.  But the day we meet, and then the day we get married.  It all changes for her.  Assuming we fall in love and all that...

But that's what we were discussing is how that story probably happens a lot.  You have someone that maybe moves to LA, or NYC, and might be struggling.  And then one night they are out at a bar, or out with friends.  And maybe it's a guy that is introduced to a girl, and maybe a girl that is introduced to a guy.  Maybe a guy introduced to a guy, maybe a girl introduced to a girl.

I want to make sure to cover all romantic preferences...

They click.  They make it all the way to getting married.

Suddenly, their life has changed because now there's two people involved in one path in life.

And depending on who you meet and fall for, your life can change.  I mean it isn't always roses.  Sometimes you fall for a bad seed.  Sometimes you fall for someone, like for instance, I know someone where they met and fell in love, and then it turned out the guy had a secret gambling addiction, and when she thought they had a good amount of money in the bank saved, but because he was managing the bank statements... She found out when they went to put a downpayment on a house... that account had next to nothing in it.  He'd gambled it all away.  Online poker late at night.

Then then split and went their different ways.

That's why it's important to be the kind of person to any possible significant other, that will add value to that person's life.  Just like my highschool friend adds value to her husband's life and she adds value to hers.  Not just monetary value, but that they are both crazy about one another.  I still see her posts on anniversaries about how she can't believe she ever crossed paths with such an awesome guy.  And I know he's an awesome guy because he makes her happy.  And that's what matters.  You both make each other happy.

Anyways, it just got me thinking.. it's always best to keep doing things in life that will add value to that person that you will potentially meet.  You want to be someone that when that person meets you, they can't wait to introduce you to all their friends.  They want to post all about you on Facebook and it gets a million likes.

So once I meet that one girl... We can both start changing one another's lives in positive ways.  We can keep adding value to each other's lives and we'll both become richer for it, because we'll make each other happy every single day.  And the fact that I can help her with her student loan debt, should she need that, is just icing on the cake.  But I only have that ability because I have to recognize the privilege that I was given by being born to who I was born to.  But as well I can add even more value to that by taking everything I have in my life and continuing to build on that.  To build and work hard and make something even greater.

So, I have the ability to make music, and write books, and the knowledge to manage my own investments.  And I can also work a 9-5 job and bring in income from there, and be a productive member of that college community.  I help COUNTLESS numbers of people every day with computer issues.  And I love doing that.  I love leaving work at the end of the day knowing that I added value to each one of those people's lives.  But also knowing that I'll have a lot to offer to a girl one day down the road... Just like my highschool friend's husband had a lot to offer her...

But it took that element of luck.  It took that one fateful night where they just happened to bump into each other at the bar and he offered to buy her a drink.  And she said sure.

Without that... All of the value will be lost.  But that day that I cross paths with her, I have to be ready to have a lot of value to add to her life.  And for her to go home after the first night we meet thinking... "You know, I'm actually kind of excited about this guy I met tonight."

And I'll be thinking, "I'm really excited about this girl I met tonight."

Until then... It's all about working to build and add value to make myself more marketable and more appealing as someone that would be that one person that a girl out there would be excited to show off to all her friends.

Anyways, that was the conversation from today... Who you marry can matter and change your life.  Someone supportive and hardworking, and passionate and you make one another happy.

Or you marry someone who you go to check the mutual bank account before you apply for a mortgage to make sure you have enough for the downpayment only to find a few dollars left in that account.

Which person do you want to be, and which person do you want to meet and marry?

The answer is pretty clear that we all want to be that value add person that makes the other person's life infinitely better simply because we were both so fortunate to cross paths in life.

Filed under: Stuffs No Comments
31Aug/160

Magic Coffee Table

This video is pretty funny.  For the record though, if I were in a relationship with a girl and she lived with me... I would reverse this and always be willing to take initiative and clean up and do laundry and dishes.

In fact, I'd see to it that communication were open and she could always ask me what's up with anything around the house.  Not that she WOULD have to ask because just like in this video for the guy with things being done for him "magically"... I'd do everything for the girl without her even asking.  So she would just be like... "Wow... My laundry was done for me, the dishes were done, the house was cleaned... Even my favorite meal was cooked and waiting for when I came home!"

But, that's if I had a girlfriend... Sadly, at the moment, I don't.  So I just keep things tidy around the house for myself and the cats.

 

Filed under: Stuffs No Comments
31Aug/160

WineDown Fest

Just bought a ticket to the Summer WineDown Fest in Oaks.  Can't wait!  Should be fun.

http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/635851/philadelphia-summer-winedown-fest

I'll be going to session two in the afternoon from 3:30 to 7pm.

And then right after that event I have a friend's birthday party to attend who lives only about 15 minutes away.

It will be a good day indeed.

Actually, most of September is filled with events.  I also have some setup for October as well, but September is definitely pretty jam packed.

So, here's to  fun month filled with lots of events.  My next event is trivia this Thursday followed by going out to West Chester on Friday with a friend to see the Budweiser horses.  Really it's just an excuse to have a couple beers.  And maybe take some pictures of the iconic horses... Or pics with the horses.  I'm not sure exactly what is going on.  I was invited and just decided to say... "Sure!  Why not?  Sounds like fun!"

Later on in the month I'm gonna head to the Slyfox Can Jam and as well Celtic Fest up in Bethlehem.  So, there's lots of good stuff happening in the near future on my events calendar.

Mostly I'm just excited for Fall and the cooler fall temps that come along with it.  And the leaves changing.  And all that good stuff.  The next two months are always my favorite.  September and October.  But, I've got lots of Fall related events and festivals that I'm pretty excited for!  So far I've had one pumpkin/fall beer.  I was trying to wait it out until at least September 1st.  They don't waste any time putting those beers out it seems.  It's almost like it gets earlier and earlier each year!  Anyways... So yes, super excited about Fall and all the events and happenings.

Filed under: Stuffs No Comments
29Aug/160

More On Chocolate

I recently happened upon a new item in Wegmans.  Well, maybe it's not COMPLETELY new, but it's new to me.  When I first found it, I actually picked it up and looked at it and then put it back.

The next time I picked it up and put it in my cart, only to later return it back to the shelf.

The THIRD time I walked by it... I decided, eh, why not!  And I'm glad I decided to get it.

So, the first time I made it, I did a half and half instead of just doing only all in.  The half and half is good.  But now instead of just doing a half and half, I do a smaller scoop as more like a third with my other two scoops.  It's the final fit to my morning cup.  Or, I guess it lasts me all day.

What is it?  And what am I talking about?

It's called Crio Bru.

 

 

https://www.criobru.com

It's just ground up cocoa beans.  I've yet to try it on its own.  What I did the first time is I mixed it with a blend of one scoop of coffee, and another of the beans.  Then I french pressed it.  Now what I do is I put two scoops of coffee... and then I do a third smaller scoop of the beans just to add to the coffee.  The flavoring is great, and apparently it gives you more energy along with some added health benefits!

What's not to love?

So, like today, I had my usual three part coffee blend brewed up in my french press.  One of the scoops is normal coffee.  It's usually something fancy pantcy that I find at the store in one of the 10 or 12 ounce bags.  The second part is an espresso blend of some sort.  I like the wegmans espresso one.  It's very finely ground.  Then part three is that Crio Bru stuff.

I just sip it slowly all day long at work.  Keeps me buzzing along.

Here's the thing though, I'm not sure how much Crio Bru is actually getting through.  I definitely taste chocolate notes in my cup of coffee, but I'm just not sure how much... Or if it's the full effect.  Why?

Well here's the thing.  Remember how I said I like espresso blend in my coffee?  A regular french press will just let that all go through the mesh filter.  You'll end up with bits of coffee grinds in your cup.  What I do is wrap a paper filter around the press plunger and I slowly, MUCH more slowly, press my cup of coffee after it's been steeping for a good little while.

So then what happens with the paper filter is it stops all those fine grinds of the espresso blend.  HOWEVER... The instructions of the Crio Bru say, use a regular press, or use a gold filter in your coffee maker and don't use paper.

The Crio Bru grind isn't very fine.  So, I imagine that I'm losing some of the brew when I use the paper filter in my french press.

I'm going to experiment more and just try the Crio Bru on its own without any coffee at all so I can really identify what the exact taste is and know how much is actually getting through.

So far though even just adding it to my coffee mix and still using a paper filter, I'm still liking it.  It definitely changes the feel of the buzz that you get from JUST coffee and it tastes really good too.

I don't actually drink coffee every day.  I alternate between tea.  So, tomorrow I'll do black tea with a lemon wedge and then later in the day I'll go to green tea.  But then the day after I'll be back to coffee again.  I've experimented over the years and I like that the most.   Alternate between tea and coffee every other day.

Filed under: Stuffs No Comments
29Aug/160

Cherry Flavor

Okay, so maybe this is entirely in my head, kind of like how much I think about Miss Daylight and wonder if she thinks about me as much as I think about her...

Anyways... Miss Daylight aside...

Here's my newest favorite thing.  Try this out...

First thing you do is go buy the two following things, one is a decent bottle of red wine.  Now, I'm just using a blend at the moment that I bought while at Chaddsford Winery called American Red, but I imagine that most reds will work.  Next, buy the dark chocolate Hershey Kisses.  I'm curious to know how it works with the milk chocolate ones.  I feel like it wouldn't work as well as the dark chocolate ones do.  I'm also curious to know how other types of wines might work too.

Okay, so here's what you do... First after pouring a glass of the red wine, take a nice sip.  Then unwrap a dark chocolate Hershey Kiss and pop one in your mouth.  Let it melt away a bit or just basically chew most of it but leave a little tiny bit still on your tongue, then take another little bit of red wine.

It tastes like Cherry!

At least to me it does.  I've messed around with when to sip and when to eat the Hershey Kiss.  I feel like the best combination to get the most cherry-ish flavor is to sip, eat, sip.

Really though, it's kind of hard to go wrong with dark chocolate and red wine.

The cherry flavor is definitely brief and it's right at the tail end.

Again, maybe it's all in my head and it just tastes gross to everyone else.  But to me... At the tail end of sipping the second time, and chewing the dark chocolate Hershey Kiss together... I get a cherry taste.

Results may vary.  True story, I had a friend growing up that was allergic to chocolate.  I kind of love chocolate so... I can't imagine.  I feel like being allergic to chocolate is a terrible fate.  She would eat it anyways and just let herself suffer from breaking out in hives after the fact.

You know something is good when you're wiling to walk around with a face all broken out in hives just to have a small taste of it.

SO, I mean if you're not allergic to chocolate.  Go have a piece and thank your lucky stars that you can eat as much as you please!

Filed under: Stuffs No Comments
27Aug/160

Actually, You Do Have Wifi

I'm at La Colombe coffee in Bryn Mawr.  It's a brand new location.  They have coffee on nitro, but in addition to the nitro iced coffee, they also have latte on draft. Or, if you're feeling bold and daring and possibly up for an adventure, you can try the black and tan.  The black and tan consists of the latte cold draft and the iced coffee draft mixed.  Black on the bottom and tan on top.  Let me tell you, it's amazing.

Anyways, I asked if they had wifi.  They answered, "Of course we... Don't."

"Wait, what?"

"Sorry, no wifi."

Something like... they purposely don't want people sitting around being all antisocial on laptops.

I'm sitting around being antisocial on my laptop anyways.  Sticking it to the man.  Yeah.  What.  Take that!

Well... as it turns out, if you are a Comcast subscriber, you can sign in anywhere you see Xfinitywifi.  Crazy right?  It's something I noticed when I setup my wifi at home after getting the new wireless equipment.

I noticed a new SSID called "Xfinitywifi".  Here's the genius of Comcast's master plan.  They have decided that every box of equipment they own will broadcast one single SSID... Xfinitywifi.  And anyone who pays for Comcast at their home... Can sign in anywhere else that they see Xfinitywifi.

http://wifi.xfinity.com

Yep.

So, Mr. La Colombe... You DO have wifi... and you don't even know it.

Win!

This is the first time i've used it, and let me tell you, it's amazing.  It's fast and flawless.  And to me?  It's pretty genius if you ask me.  Whoever is responsible for coming up with the idea to make it so that anyone with a Comcast account could sign into any other Comcast wifi router... They deserve a raise!

I'm so glad I didn't switch to Verizon Fios when I was changing over the Comcast out of my mom's name/estate.  I thought about it, and now I'm so glad I didn't.  I'm curious to know if perhaps all the other ISPs will follow suit.  I imagine it's only a matter of time until there's just one single sign on network and the whole idea of having your own router in your house is gone.  I feel like one day eventually the cell networks and wifi networks and all of the other networks will begin to merge converge.  I guess only time will tell!

For now, I'm happy to sit and sip on a new ice cold coffee drink and enjoy sucking up bandwidth on someone else's wifi even though they told me I couldn't.  And I don't even have to be all sneaky about it and slurp someone else's wireless hot spot secretly.  I feel all kinds of official and legit knowing that I've authenticated using my own Xfinity username and password!

It's like having your name on the list at an exclusive club after the bouncer told you that you couldn't come in.  That's right.  My name is on the list yo!  Now open up that door and step aside, cuz I'm gonna get me some of that wifi!

Filed under: Stuffs No Comments
26Aug/160

Movie Or A Book

So one girl on the dating site today decided after 16 exchanges of multiple paragraph length responses... To flat out reject me...

"Hi Kenny, thanks again for the responses, it's been really great to chat with you, but I want to be straightforward with you and tell you that I'm not sure we're gonna click beyond a friend level. I really don't want to waste your time because you really are a guy I'd like to be friends with, but I know you're not looking for that."

Oh well.  I often wonder all the people out there that are married if they had almost thought about rejecting the person they ended up with and then maybe they said... "You know... maybe I'll just give this person a shot..."

When you say no to something, you close the door on what could be... if you'd just been more open about it.  But hey, that's her choice.  Who knows maybe one day if I do ever get married.... I'll say to my wife... "You know, the only reason why you and I are together... Is because every other girl I tried to date said no.  But you said yes.  So you really should thank all the other girls that said no because if just one of those girls had said yes, I'd be with one of them instead of with you."

Which is true.  The one that we end up with... is because everyone else said no.  And that one person decided to say yes to giving it a shot.

Well, so that response today made me feel kind of down... But then I got another response from a girl that said she had an idea... and I really liked the idea...

The idea is this.  Before going on a date... Let's say you meet for coffee, or a beer.  First... You both read the same book.  Or go see the same movie in the theaters.  Then when you meet you discuss that book or movie.

I like that idea.  I think it's a cute/fun idea.  I feel like it would help with a connection and help a romance blossom instead of just showing up out of nowhere with nothing to talk about...

Although, my boss and coworker both don't really seem to believe in the whole romance thing.  They are married and they are like...

Well as my boss and coworker both told me today... actually I'll just say word for word my boss's exact sentence.  He said... "Marriage is about companionship and not love or romance. All of that stuff fades away anyways. So it doesn't really matter who you end up with because love fades away, and romance doesn't stay. It's just about going through life with a companion. Not falling in love, or having romance."

They just keep saying to me... Just pick any girl.  It doesn't matter at all who she is or what you feel about her.  Just pick a girl and marry her.  Because no one that is married actually is in love or feels romantic towards their significant other.  You just end up being companions and there is no love after a while.

I don't know if I believe that.  I think that if there's no more love in a marriage, that you shouldn't stay together.  I feel like there are probably married couples out there that aren't in love... But I also feel like there are married couples that ARE in love.  I'd rather be single than with someone I don't love.

Could you imagine on a wedding day just saying to the other person... "And do you take this person to have and hold..."

"Yeah sure.  We're just going to end up being companions but not actually in love.  SO whatever.  Let's just get this ceremony over with already."

I think that's kind of ridiculous.  I think that when two people get married they SHOULD be in love.  And then they should stay married while they are in love.  But once they fall out of love... They should divorce.

I'd never stay married to someone I wasn't in love with.  And I wouldn't expect someone to stay married to me if they weren't in love with me!

I suspect my coworker and boss are probably just telling me that marriage is boring or whatever and that they aren't super in love with their spouses just because they want to try and make me feel better about being single...  They probably are all in love and it's just something they are saying because I'm all hopelessly single and they are all married.  So I suspect that is the case.

Anways, my plan is to just keep going on first dates.  Just keep getting rejected because that's how it goes... For every 100 or 1000 first dates and girls that decide to just not even give you the time of day, or just not even respond to your follow up text message and ghost on you.  Or just decide to stop responding while messaging on the dating site... Or just decide to call it quits on you...

There's 1 girl that will say yes to you.

So, just have to be persistent.  Because if I wanted a companion, I'd just marry my cats.  A cat is a companion.  A significant other is someone that you should be in love with and you should still get butterflies every time you see them.

And I plan to keep searching for that until it happens.

But until it does, what I might start doing is before I go on a first date... I might suggest that we both read the same book, or we both watch the same movie.

I mean even if I go on another thousand first dates... At least I'll have read a thousand books and had discussions about it.  So at least something productive will have come out of those first dates instead of just a bunch of girls from dating sites ghosting me with no explanation after the first date.

That's what the girl I went on a date last Friday with did.  I texted her a follow up text... and heard nothing.  She seemed interested on the date... But it was probably just the alcohol she was consuming.

But that's how dating goes.  It's full of disappointments.  Which is why if I ever do end up getting married I'll just keep thinking to myself... All those other girls that wouldn't give me the time of day... That lost interest... That I couldn't keep their interest after all that trying... That just decided to say no...

And this girl said yes.  This one girl decided to say yes to us.  So it doesn't matter that all those other girls said no, because this one girl decided to say yes.  And that's all that matters, is that one girl that will finally say yes in a sea of girls saying no.

Filed under: Stuffs No Comments
26Aug/160

Independence Hall Parking

My new favorite thing is Independence Hall Parking.  It's a parking garage under Independence Hall.

I feel like very few people know about this gem.  Very few people must know about it because... There was TONS of space and empty spots when I parked there after work tonight.

Basically the deal is this.. It's affordable night life parking, in old city.  So, here's the breakdown of costs... on Sunday through Thursday if you pull in after 5pm and get out by... I think it's 3am...

It's $9.50.  HOWEVER, if you go on a Friday or Saturday night the pricing model of in after 5pm and out before 3am is slightly different... Care to guess how much it costs then?

If you thought that it cost 20 or 30 bucks like most of the places that you could park right in and around old city Philadelphia... You'd be wrong.  The cost of parking in Independence Hall Parking to enjoy some old city nightlife as long as you are in after 5pm and out before 3am is...

Drumroll please...

$5.

Yep.  5 BUCKS!

And here the last time I went to old city I paid like 25 bucks to park.

Tonight I went to Spruce Street Harbor Park... guess how much my friends that I went with paid to park?  20 bucks.  Guess how much I paid?  $9.50.

 

Now, the only caveat is this... It's a little bit of a walk.  It's about a quarter mile to a half mile to possibly a three quarters of a mile depending on where you are going.  But, a little walking never hurt anyone!  In fact, walking does you well.  So, you actually get a little bit of cardio in with your cheap parking.  It's like a two for one special!  Not only is the parking cheaper and in a very nice facility as well... It's an excuse to exercise a little tiny bit too.

I always try to park further away from things on purpose anyways just to add a tiny bit of exercise to my day.

Tonight was a little bit further of  walk.  The Ritz theaters are a little less of a walk.  Independence Beer Garden is right there.  Old City and he bars in Old City are maybe a third of a mile walk.

Still, even if you're kind of not sold on the idea of some extra walking, which is fine too.... Just consider that it's really not bad for some VERY affordable parking.  I mean, Friday and Saturday night parking in the city for 5 bucks? 5 BUCKS!!!  And we're not talking some shady strange lot.  We're talking a very VERY nice parking garage under Independence Hall that is run by the city of Philadelphia.  I mean, it's monitored 24/7 and is even staffed with people 24/7.

I seriously never knew this existed until a few weeks ago.  If I HAD known?  I'd have gone to Old City SOOOOO many more times before.  But, I'll definitely be going to the Old City-ish area way more often, that's for sure.

It makes most of the places in and around Old City very accessible.

It's strange that the weekday parking is more expensive than the weekend parking... But, the thing that I don't get is... You see all these people fighting for parking spots.  I mean, on my walk to Spruce Street Harbor... I saw a good number of people trying to pack their car into a tiny little spot like a sardine in a can.  This was even just a few blocks away from the garage.  Here I pulled in off the street, grabbed a ticket, and didn't even have to go to the second level to find a spot.  There were MORE than enough spots right there on level one of the parking garage.  And when you go to leave?  You just put your ticket in the little machine, put your credit card in, and print a receipt if you'd like.  Then you drive around to the little machine near the exit and put your ticket in that and the arm lifts up and away you go!

Independence Hall Parking... I'm definitely going to be hitting up Old City more often.  Probably get my butt to a First Friday or two as well.  I mean, that's RIGHT there!  I feel like the city needs more 5 dollar weekend parking.  Or $9.50 during the weeknight parking.  Although I feel like all nights should just be 5 bucks.  It's strange to me that it's more expensive during the week than it is on the weekend... But, hey, it's still better than the other parking options.

http://www.phlvisitorcenter.com/getting-here

Filed under: Stuffs No Comments
23Aug/160

Dear Miss Daylight

I've decided to write you a letter.  Or, a whole bunch of them... and I've grouped the letters together to form words.

See, aren't I funny?

But, a letter... I just thought you should know, that you're still on my mind.  I think about you from time to time.  And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.

Okay, so maybe I think about you almost all the time.  It's funny, I've met SOOOO many people on this planet.  But you're the one that I think about fairly often.

Puzzling really.  What is it about you that keep most of my thoughts in your direction.

Strange.

Maybe one day I'll figure this darn puzzle out.

See you'd THINK by now, you would barely cross my mind.  But it's just the same as it ever was.  I've always thought that has some kind of merit in itself.  Something notable.  If a person thinks about some one SO much... Maybe there's a reason for it?

You know?  And then the question is... What sort of action do you take on that?

It's like... Okay, so this must mean.... Insert reasoning here.  And that means I MUST... Do this, or do that.

All these years and I'm still puzzled.  I tried to get you.  I tried to forget you.

Neither of those worked.  Obviously.

So, I can't get you and I can't forget you.

I'm in some weird middle place where I just have this puzzle that is the mystery of Miss Daylight that I can't figure out.

The only thing I DO know... For certain without a doubt... Is that I've never felt as strongly for any other individual on this planet as you.

I've certainly never missed anyone as much as you.  Which is puzzling.  Because... Why you?  Most people if you ask who they miss...

Most of them are like... Oh, that's easy... My family... Or someone else that makes logical sense because it's someone that they are best friends with, or someone that they talk to ALL the time.  Or someone that they are with as a significant other.

Obviously I miss my mom.  But... If someone asked me if there were ONE person that I miss the MOST?  You.  That's an easy answer for me.  Your name is the very first on that list.  Puzzling right?  Because logically it doesn't make sense.  We went our separate ways ages ago.  And even when our paths in life were aligned it was so very brief of an instant.

But here I am... still unable to wrap my brain around you and all this time I spend thinking about you.

Well, anyways, Miss Daylight.  That's my letter.  Just a letter to say that it puzzles me every day why I even ended up meeting you and liking you SO much if I can't even so much as speak to you.  I wonder how many other people experience the feeling of wanting someone more than anything in the world... and knowing that you can't have that person.

Wanting someone you can't have.  I don't know.  Who knows?  It's a mystery that maybe some day I'll know.

The mystery of Miss Daylight.

 

Filed under: Stuffs No Comments