Atlantic City

Just because I have this new found sense of my life out here doesn't mean I'm lucky. I learned that the hard way in Atlantic City today. Suffice it to say that I'll need a couple days of work to make up my losses.

Money well spent on a good time though. Lots of craps, beers, Hooters, and magic. If I were ever going to go to Atlantic City, I'm glad I went with the company I had: a juggler and a magician.

My magician roommate, Jason, got us tickets to the magic show Carnival of Wonders, staring the dynamic team of Kalin the master illusionist and Jinger his lovely assistant. Not only fantastic performers, but incredibly nice people who were more than happy to hang out with us young entertainers and share a tip or two.

A great first trip to Atlantic City, but will it be my last?

A Shot in the Arm

I love those early morning moments: half conscious, half in a dream, hitting the snooze button too many times just to get a measly extra few minutes, debating whether or not getting up is a good idea. Love it.

Except when you roll over onto a hornet that made its way up your short sleeve shirt and ensures that you hop you ass out of bed. That little yellow and black butted bitch is now dead, but it certainly left its mark. Right where you get a shot. I haven't felt pain like that since I got vaccinated for Thailand and I received three shots in the same arm. I guess I forgot what a sting feels like.

The last time I had one I was a rather wee lad. I was playing freeze tag with my cousins. Unfortunately, I just so happen to get froze right under a hornets nest. Rules are rules and I ain't no cheater. So there I stood, getting stung.

But besides the childhood nostalgia brought back from this early morning wake up call, I feel it served another purpose, it gave me a bit of a jolt. The entire day was filled with new things, productivity, and I was happy.

The past few weeks have been... well trying. A "quarter-life crisis" as my roommate magician told me. I really just haven't been myself lately. Which is probably why I haven't been writing much here. When things are going well, I'm doing interesting things, and I'm happy, then I have no qualms about posting all those happy-go-lucky thoughts and moments. But when things are going not so well, then I share nothing. Because heaven forbid I let the world know about my crappy life moments.

Then it occured to me...who cares? I started this blog to write about my life. The shitty moments are just as much a part of my life as the trips to The Lourve and Tenerife. Those of you reading can then look this blog and take pride in knowing that you're happier than I. Or you may read my bitching and think, "this kid has nothing to complain about." Which, when we get down to brass tacks or whatever cliche term you wanna use, I truly can't.

Not to say that the past month has been an absolute hell. There have been some grand times as well. But over the month of August, I'm going to be catching up on both the good, the bad, and the ugly times of July. And I'll keep the younger audience in mind and try not to use so much foul language. This was just me venting.

I'm Still Alive

No doubt you've all been wondering, "When is Shawn going to post again? I can't take it anymore!"

I'm sure it's been keeping you up at night, "Was it something I said? Why would Shawn do this to me?"

Well alas, I'm going to use a line that is just as valid now as it has been the other times I've used it:

"It's me, not you."

This is very applicable. Let's face it, I've been slacking on the blogging. But for good reasons which I'll elaborate on over the coming weeks. We have almost a whole month to catch up on! What fun!

And don't worry, I'll never leave you like that again...

Slow Rye Life

Now that I'm here in Rye and performing at Playland on a regular basis, things have really slowed down. For the most part, my summer travels are over, so I'll post on here when things get interesting. 

Don't hold your breath. 

About NYC

6/15/2009

Upon awaking in Brooklyn at a friend's place, I set out to galavant around the city. Highlights include: the Mac Store, Central park, Toys 'R' Us, Trump Tower, and ending with the opening night HBO Summer Film Festival in Bryant Park. The night's feature: The Sting staring Robert Redford. 

So yea, I said I would blog everyday... I didn't say each one would be good. 

Lounge'n and Shoot'n

6/14/2009

Thanks to the Times Square Alliance, I was able to take a good portion of my day and spend it sitting on Broadway and Seventh, watching, listening, thinking, and basking in this jungle called New York City. 

The remainder of my day was spent watching my friend Allison rock in a pool tournament. Read all about it at nycgrind.com.

Watch the Gap? Please

6/13/2009

In my 24 hours of being here, there are a few things I can take or leave. 

• First off, on the train platforms there are warnings that say Watch the Gap, a poor pathetic, bastardized American version of London's classic Mind the Gap. Come on, NY, I expected better. 
• Second, I've discovered that this is my landlady:

You Have Reached Your Destination

6/12/2009

Mandy has said that to me many times throughout the past two weeks. Mandy is the GPS I've been using to get around the eastern half of the United States. Well, 'Mandy' is the female voice I chose to listen to. She was American, which is sad. One can download an expansion pack for a TomTom and get a British female voice, much more alluring. But I digress.

I'm here! I have arrived in Rye, NY. I spent most of today getting to know the town. It's got a great old school main street, lots of shops, and passersby. Around the corner from the main street is one of the performers houses. Down the street from there is the train to NYC, round trip ticket for around $20. Not bad.

I already got to know the shop owner at the local wine shop, Bruno. He sold me a nice Reisling while we chatted about the city and whether or not there were any good bars in Rye. He told me of a few places nearby. I figured I'd get to know them later that night.

After visiting the library for the internet and jamming in a park for a while, I decided to make my way to Playland amusement park to see where I'd be spending my summer. There I met with the cast manager Bret and briefly met others, as they were in the middle of rehearsal. The park is like a carnival that came to town, settled in one spot, and grew from there. It's got the same rides that a traveling carnival would, but also has a big roller coaster, screw-you-over carnival games, and of coarse, entertainment. Once I have conquered all the rides, I'll let you know if it's worth coming to.

While the rest of the cast rehearsed, I went to The Pub. Literally, a pub called The Pub. I was told by Bruno that is was a chill place. It was chill. Mostly because everyone in there was over 50. No matter. I still made a friend. Vinny was chatting, rather loudly, with his friend about good music, concerts they've been to etc. I piped in and before I knew it we were exchanging bang recommendations. Right now I'm looking at a coaster which he wrote the names of three artists: Peter White, The Amazing Blondel, and Dando Shaft. He ranted and raved about these three, guaranteeing I would not be disappointed..... truth be told, I'm a little disappointed. They all sound stereotypically like music someone over 50 would be into (no offense to those reading this who are). I told him I'd have a listen and see him next Friday at The Pub.

Once the cast was done with rehearsal, I met them all one town over at Buffalo Wild Wings. This is the area where the young'ns go. Apparently, I have a lot of hockey fans in my cast because every one of them had to lock into the Stanley Cup. I have to admit, it was fun watching Pittsburgh wail on Detroit, and seeing the Yankees win over the Mets on an outfield error was also quite exciting. Over a few beers, I got to properly meet the cast. Everyone seems eager and excited for the summer ahead.

Final Stats:

Total Miles Driven: 1,921

Total Stops for Gas: 8

Total Amount Spent on Gas: $245.75

Foggy Horses

6/11/2009

I was thinking of spending another day/night in Philly, but really there wasn't much keeping me there. Plus, by this point in my journey I was ready to settle in Rye, NY, my final destination. However, after hitting the road out of Philly, I got a call from my company director informing me that the house I am to be moving into is not ready due to some renovations. So I extended my tour a bit.

As I drove up the Jersey shore I picked a point on the GPS and went to it, figuring I'd stop when I saw something interesting. That did take long. Within an hour of driving I came across Monmouth Park horse racing track. I've watched the Kentucky Derby on TV and such, but I've never been to a live horse race. Lucky me, I got there in time to see the last four races, three on the dirt and one on the turf.

It was a unique day for racing because as you can see, it was a touch foggy. For the majority of last race, the announcer just said, "and I can't see anything, last I saw 'Fast Forward' had the lead." Because of the mysty dampness, the dirt was good and thick and clung to the jockeys. It was these little nuances that entertained me the most.

Like when a horse decided he just wasn't going to leave the stables. The caretaker tugged and pulled, but he just planted his hooves. Every once in a while he would buck up on his rear legs and everyone around would clear the way. The race was drawing nearer. The owner and jockey were discussing scratching. Then out of nowhere the horse decided he was in the mood for racing after all. He ended up taking second.

After the races, I continued my drive north on Ocean Avenue. I pulled off to walk over the sand dunes but saw nothing but a few feet of the Atlantic Ocean and a whole lot of fog.

I continued north and reached Sandy Hook National Park. I'm sure this place is gorgeous on a bright sunny day. However, I did not have such luck. Further into the park though, things got more interesting.

In the early 1890's this National Park was (and still is) a homeland security base. Some of the old turrets and mortars are no longer in use and are open to visitors. Well, they are sort of open. The cool parts are gated off. But that did stop me. There was no one else in the park, so I figured a little gate hoping wouldn't hurt. I went where this sign said I shouldn't. Opps, but worth it.

Not Always Sunny in Philadelphia

6/10/2009

It was overcast all day. But no matter. I made it to Philly and met up with Zach, whom I met on couchsurfing.com. Now when I mentioned couchsurfing to family and friends before I left on this little excursion I got a lot of, "are you sure you wanna do that?" And I do understand people's concern.

Allow me to explain couchsurfing. Better yet, I'll let them. This is taken straight from the "What is Couchsurfing?" page on their website:

Mission:

"CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding."

As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing isn't about the furniture- it's not just about finding free accommodations around the world- it's about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!

The safety factor is also addressed on their site. But I really wasn't too concerned on safety. Zach is just a guy, like me, like so many people. Say 10% of people in the world (and I think I'm over estimating) are out to get you: harm you, scam you, etc. That still leaves 90% that are just living life, not interested in hurting anyone. This certainly was Zach, a fellow guitar player.

He had to work most of the afternoon so I made it around Philly on my own, checking out the Historic district and walking around the Delaware riverfront as well as South Street, a popular shopping/eating/happening area. Saw Benjamin Franklin's grave, Besty Ross' house, some war memorials, and buildings that dated back to the time of the Revolutionary War.

Once Zach was done with work we walked down to south Philadelphia for some Geno's and Pat's cheesesteaks. These two epic rivals are located right across the street from one another. Since there is so much controversy over which is better I figured I'd overstuff myself and sample one of each. Geno's, with it's neon flashy exterior uses a cheese wiz, imitation cheese on their steaks. Pat's, on the other hand, uses real slices of cheese. Being the Wisconsin guy that I am, I had to choose the one with the real cheese.

Give me more Baltimore

6/9/2009

Around an hour drive northeastish of D.C., and I was in Baltimore, Maryland. Here I was meeting up with old running pal Brennan. He works for the Baltimore Orioles, and was busy all day. Fine by me, cause the harbor was just a short bike ride from Brennan's place. 

Full of restaurants and rental mini-boats, the harbor area is well designed and great for a chill afternoon. Lining the docks are a few permanently moored historic ships that are available for touring. 

It was either that or go to the aquarium where it seemed every elementary school in Baltimore was taking an end-of-the-year field trip. I decided to go where there were no screaming children, aboard the USS Torsk and later the USS Constellation. 

The Torsk was a submarine used most in the late 50's / early 60's. It was nifty, but so tight that some men even had to sleep above torpedo storage. Leavers are exposed all over the place which would make me nervous as a sailor knowing I could accidently bump one and flood the whole shebang. The other most interesting part, to me anyway, was the escape hatch which was used if they did start taking on water. Four men would sardine their way into this hatch, close the end they came from, and start filling the airtight space with sea water. Once full, they would open the top hatch and swim their way out. This process was then repeated for every man on board.  

My real cup of tea was the USS Constellation, the last wooden sail ship built but the US Navy. I think I was most into this ship for two reasons. One being I want to go on extend sail on a grand tall ship sooner than later. The other reason is I had just finished reading Blue Latitudes by Tony Horwitz. It's a book about the journey of Capt. James Cook as he "discovered" islands and indigenous peoples around the Pacific. From reading that book and taking the audio tour at the USS Constellation, I feel like I could tell anyone all there is to know about ships in the late 1700's. Go ahead. Ask me sometime. (Just don't ask about the actual sailing aspect)

I sat around the harbor people watching for a while, but the skies started to look a little questionable. I made it back to my car just in time to sit through some high winds and pounding thunder. After a while, the rain stopped and Brennan got done with work. We took a seven mile run around the Harbor area and over to the Oriole's stadium where people were beginning to pile in. We ran back to his place, showered, and made it to the stadium in time to see the first run of the game.

Since Brennan is a supervisor in charge of sponsorship and advertising, he oversees all that is sold and displayed in the park. I think I annoyed the hell out of him throughout the game, asking him how much that sign was or that promotional "text-in-your-answer" question. It was cool sitting with someone who knew all those ins and outs. Plus from our private box, we had a great view of what turned out to be a beautiful night in Baltimore. 

Gotta Love D.C.

6/8/2009

Seeing as how my friends are all employed, I took on D.C. today on my own. Went to see the Freedom Documents: The Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and the United States Constitution. From reading the info provided while I was waiting in line, I learned that the rotunda room where the documents are kept is only two footcandles in luminosity. Apparently a footcandle is the distance of a candle a foot away from you. A sunny summer's day can reach 12,000 footcandles. But no matter what the lighting is like, seeing those documents is an experience every American should have. 

From there I took a walk to the sculpture garden in the middle of the mall. Among the many interesting pieces a few stuck out in my mind. One being the Wishing Tree for Washington D.C.

by Yoko Ono. While I do despise her for breaking up the Beatles, this piece is pretty cool. It's just a tree. But next to it is a box full of tags in which visitors write their wishes and place them on the tree. I'd tell you what mine was but I'm afraid it's like a birthday wish, and it may not come true. 

Another nifty piece was this two-dimensional house that looked very three-dimensional. 

I decided more art was in order. So I continued my day at the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Modern Art museum. As you may recall from an early blog on modern art, I have mixed feelings on it. But this gallery had quite a few I could get into.

Today had it's fill of art, but I could use a bit more history. So I checked out the Native American Indian Museum, which was worth the stop just for the incredible design of the building itself. But inside I dove into the world of the America Indian, from the Incas to the Alaskan tribes. 

The museum closed on me before I could get in all that I wanted, but no matter. It was time to end my night. I had dinner with my gracious host Sara at Bangkok 54, a fantastic Thai place. Then ended my night with a few beers and catching up with my other Sara friend, this one from college. 

We finished up our beers just in time for me to catch the last Metro leaving Foggy Bottom. 

D.C. Brunch and Georgetown Waterfront

6/7/2009

With the Jumbo Slice of pizza comfortably sitting in my belly, I knew it was time for sleep. Making it back to Crystal City just wasn't going to happen, so I crashed at Chris' place. 

Upon awaking this morning, we were hungry. How this is possible after eating a pizza slice the size of a small child, I'll never know. But I was informed that while I was in D.C., I had to experience a D.C. brunch.

This brunch was nothing like the Sunday after church crowd in Green Bay, WI. The first thing the waitress asks for is your drink order. Much like a dinner, except this is brunch, the first thing most people will eat on Sundays. As it turns out, I had half a bloody mary in me before anything else. But when my omelet came to the table, the bloody was on hold till this magnificent egg creation was taken down. Besides the great food and drinks, the meal was also accompanied by great conversation, as Alex, Chris, and I caught up on old times from 9 years ago. Yet, I felt bad for Chris' roommate who sat quietly, taking in all of our ridiculous stories. 

Chris had a soccer game after our brunch. So Alex and I went to his place to chill on his rooftop pool. Once I felt like I had fried myself enough up there. We went down to the Georgetown Waterfront where at 2pm the outdoor bars were packed with people getting there afternoon buzz on. We chilled at this bar for the rest of the afternoon as we watched helicopter after helicopter buzz the waterfront every 20 minutes or so, both police and Coast Guard. When two US helicopters flew by together, Alex told me it was probably Biden. When three fly together, that means it's the president. 

Eventually, Chris met back up with us. At this point, we were already about eight margaritas into our afternoon, but we still had room for a few more. 

I walked back to the metro station with Chris. On the way, I broke our conversation to say, "um Chris is that the White House?" Hey replied with a, "oh yeah, and that's the US Treasury." 

A Tourist with Well Connected Friends

6/6/2009
Today started out as a touristy day of D.C. with Sara as my guide. First we saw the Navy Memorial/Fountains. Then we walked to a park where a young boy apparently just couldn't hold it anymore. 

From there we checked out the Natural History Museum where we saw some prehistoric skeleton's of extinct sea creatures, land mammals, and birds, but more importantly DINOSAURS. Oh and the Hope Diamond which is surprisingly not as impressive as one would think. 

After that museum, we met up with my other buddy Chris and checked out the Air and Space Museum. Here we saw a model of the Wright brother's plane, a bunch of rockets, and the coolest parts, the Apollo command modules. I also discovered that one of the Wright brothers was a wicked mandolin player. Who knew?

Chris just so happens to be a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill, so he took Sara and I on a little tour of the offices. We even got to venture out onto the roof to get a fantastic view of Independence Avenue and the Capitol. 

Then we were hungry. It was a toss up between Ethiopian and Spanish tapas. Since we passed by the tapas place first, it won out. Fantastic little dishes. One consisting of the most flavorful, tender chicken, another dish of warmed mini-potatoes with a spicy/tangy dipping sauce. The wild rice and mushrooms had each of us fighting for the last bite. Even the asparagus, covered in a buttery base and topped with asiago cheese, made for quite a treat. Washing it all down, a perfectly blended sangria. 

A good day in D.C. But we still had a night ahead of us. Sara and I parted ways with Chris to get ready for the night. I met up with Chris later in Columbia Heights, just a 15 minute Metro ride up from Crystal City where I was staying with Sara. We started things out in a dive bar with a few bottle's of PBR. But eventually we wanted to meet up with another friend, Alex. We made our way to South 18th street, a bar district packed sidewalk to sidewalk with a young drinking crowd. We drank at Town Tavern for a bit and met up with Alex, then went next door to a sweet jazz lounge, more my cup of tea. Unfortunately, the band was just wrapping up. But no matter, cause we were getting free drinks. It helps to know people who know bartenders in D.C. 

After that, we were done, but hungry. I was told I had to experience a jumbo slice of pizza. At the time, I remember a euphoria of pizza bursting in my face. However, the next morning when I looked at this picture, the only thing I could say was, "I ate that?"

Hold Your Breath and Hit the Gas

6/5/2009

Driving in D.C. is a hell on wheels that I am not looking forward to repeating anytime soon. But it was cool to be diligently following the GPS and turn a corner to see the Washington Monument poking out of the city. A few turns later and I was circling the Iwo Jima Monument, followed by Arlington Cemetery. However, I'm extremely glad to be off those roads and enjoying a Yuengling lager. 

After chilling out at my friend Sara's apartment for a bit, we grabbed a bottle of wine and headed for the mall to see some night sights: Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, World War Two Fountains, and the Korean War Memorial. Cruising up and down the mall at night is a gorgeous way to see these memorials in their greatest splendor as they are beautifully lit. Plus, you are not fighting too many tourists for a close look or a good picture.