Lazy Saturday

I've had a very uneventful day today, but that's kind of the way I like it. Not all the time, sometimes you need to spice it up a little, but often my idea of a good Saturday is sitting around at home, reading, watching TV, listening to music, etc. And that's exactly what I did today. Good times.

Last night I went out to that Bills/Red Sox bar to watch the Sox-Cardinals game, which was a blast, aside from the Sox losing. I knew I was in love when I walked in the door, saw all the Bills decorations and memorabilia adorning the walls, and heard Bon Jovi blasting on the stereo. I don't even like Bon Jovi that much, but it seemed like the perfect music to be playing as I walked into this place. It's not a very large building, but they have quite a few TV sets, one of which is a big-screen, all the usual bar staples (juke box, pool table, dart boards, etc.), plus an outdoor patio and reasonably cheap drinks. It wasn't very full last night, but I imagine it's packed to the rafters on game days during football season. Really looking forward to checking it out on the first weekend in September.

So, in addition to lying around the apartment today, I got started on some of the reading I'm supposed to do before classes start, and it turns out there's not as much of it as I thought there would be. I'll be able to tear through that in a day or two, which is good news. And good news is something that's been in short supply lately. Yesterday I had a setback on my transportation plans for the next year. I intended to take the bus to and from campus most of the time, to save on gas money and so that I wouldn't have to buy a university parking pass, which is outrageously expensive. And when I first saw this apartment, the woman from the rental company told me there was a bus stop right outside (at least, that's how I remember it. I suppose it's possible I misunderstood what she was telling me, or she was misinformed, or feeding me bullshit). Well, I went to the web site for public transportation in Syracuse, and it turns out the closest bus stop to my place is about a mile away. Now, anyone who knows me would be able to tell you I am a lazy, sedentary human being. But I'm not opposed to walking a mile. So once I figured out where the nearest bus stop was, I decided to walk there and see what the walk was like, how long it took me to get there, etc.

Not long after I started walking, I realized this was not going to work out. Oh, it was a fine walk on a sunny, 70 degree afternoon. But during the winter it would be a very different story. And I'm not just talking about being cold; that I could deal with. The problem is that some of the roads I have to travel on my way to the bus stop do not have sidewalks. Again, no problem during nice weather-- you just walk on the shoulder of the road. But during winter, snow banks several feet high will be on the shoulder of the road. Plus, it's about a fifteen minute walk to the stop (in good weather), and then taking the bus from there to campus would take way longer than it would for me to drive there (it's less than a ten-minute drive). So I was thinking about it, and considering all factors (the additional time needed to commute by bus, the need to walk two miles per day through wind, snow, sleet, hail, and snowbanks, and having to put up with notoriously unreliable public transportation when I'm trying to get to classes and/or appointments on time, just to name a few) I decided I would have to pony up the dough for a parking pass. Sure, it's pricey, and it's an expense that might not be absolutely necessary, but I figure it will be money well spent for the convenience of driving, and I'm pretty much mortgaging my future already. What's a little more money?

As I'm writing this, I'm listening to SModcast, the podcast put out by filmmaker Kevin Smith and his producer, Scott Mosier. Whether or not you're a fan of Smith's movies, the podcast is definitely worth a listen. Smith and Mosier just talk for about an hour about whatever weird topics pop into their heads, and the result is sometimes banal but usually interesting and often hilarious. If you're interested, download an episode or two for free from www.quickstopentertainment.com

Still trying to decide how I'm going to spend the rest of the evening. I bought a newspaper from a convenience store a little while ago and haven't read it yet, so I'll probably read all the articles of interest in there. Then, probably watch a flick and have a couple drinks, maybe turn on SNL later on, assuming I haven't seen it already and I'm not getting a sucky vibe in the first few minutes. Yes, it's a fascinating life I lead.

All right, that's all for today. Maybe tomorrow I'll be back with something more interesting.

-Nick