Work continues to go really well. I find myself extremely busy which tends to make the days fly by. It is a perfect situation in that I am very busy, but not overworked. I leave at decent hours, and my commute is an easy trip against traffic across the turnpike. The work I have been doing has also been very interesting, and I feel like I am learning a lot. I have recently switched from working with Josh to being under another guy within the same team. I am anxious about this as I loved working with Josh, but hopefully I will find the new assignment just as rewarding. And hopefully, Staples is enjoying me as well.
This past weekend, I had the wonderful pleasure of hosting Jim and Joe from Philly and New York, respectively. In addition, Odom was hosting Craven, Josh Glass, Hiegl, and Clarke from the ATL. So all in all, a great crew for a wonderful Independence Day weekend in Boston. Joe and Jim rode the train in and were scheduled to arrive in South Station around 12:45 am. As a result, it gave me time to head to Marblehead for a Great Gatsby-like party up by the coast. It was great to see the cousins (Charlie/Monica & Katie) and of course it was great to watch the old people put away wine while ripping on the tax code. Having to make the drive later, I had nowhere near enough wine to handle the playful flirting these ladies put out there. All in all, a lot of fun, but after a couple hours there, I had to hit the road to meet up with the fellow KFBSers.
Since these guys arrived so late the first night, we just hit up a small pub for a drink to catch up a bit and get the ball rolling. After a pint, we headed back to the apartment to hit the sack and get some rest for a great weekend ahead. Friday morning, we woke up and hopped on the bus to head towards the Freedom Trail. I was very excited for this, as I had been looking forward to seeing some of the historic pieces of Boston. Along the trail, we got to see the graves of some of the true American heroes (Sam Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere.....) along with some of the amazing places that the Sons of Liberty and other patriots met hundreds of years ago. The only thing along the trail we didn't get to see was the U.S.S. Constitution as there was predictably a huge line for that tour. At the end of the tour, we grabbed a pint and some food at Dick's and then I got myself my first Boston t-shirt (complete with a shamrock on it).
After the tour, we headed back to relax and have some drinks at my apartment. 7s,11s, and doubles predictably broke out as dice games cannot be avoided. We packed as many as we could into 19 Turner Street and good times were had by all. Without the "we must go out girls" (Rebecca and Amy) around, everybody was content to enjoy each others company and hilarity ensued.
The next morning, we got up early and headed down to the Fenway area. After watching the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest, we decided we might as well investigate the Red Sox ticket situation. We were able to secure some pretty good seats, and we headed into the game. We watched the Red Sox lose a close one, 3-2, in what was absolutely gorgeous New England weather. Also, during the game, I was able to secure myself a John Smoltz shirt, which was a huge victory in and of itself. After the game, we headed to Bleacher Bar underneath the stadium, and I fit right in with my Red Sox Smoltz shirt on.
Being pretty beat after a long day outside, we headed back to my apartment to shower up and chill out for a bit. Later on, the Odom crew headed over for some drinks and then to head out on the town. Brighton Beer Garden was the spot for part of the crew, and part of the crew stayed in. Those of us that went out had a blast. Overall, a great Independence Day!
It was so nice to get an Atlanta connection and a UNC connection in the same weekend. Of course I am loving Boston, but at the same time the mind still drifts to Atlanta and Chapel Hill, so it was great to see those guys. Also, in getting to talk to Jim and Joe about our upcoming residential situation in Chapel Hill, I am definitely excited to get back and settled into our new house. At the same time, I know I will be sad when this experience is over, as I am having a blast up here! Who knows what comes of it all. All I know is I am soaking it up for now.
Playing a lot of tennis up here too. Although they put me at the highest level, and while I have had very competitive matches....I am not winning too many. Might request to move down one spot, but at the same time I do feel that it is helping my game. not sure....just want to keep playing! Lastly, Sierra is doing well. She struggled to get settled at first, but I think she is into a routine, and I have been taking her to the park everytime we get a dry day. She is such a great companion to have up here, that is for sure!
Pictures to come later
Drew
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Third Week
The exciting part of my third week here is that I will get to go to Fenway three times this week! Last night, I hopped on the 57 bus about 6:00 to head down to meet Shawn and Brian (UNC friends) for the Red Sox-Marlins game. Walking into Fenway, it is hard not to be at least slightly overwhelmed. I did indeed get some goosebumps, and I of course took some pictures. It isn't that the stadium itself is overwhelming, it is just pretty neat to think about how old the stadium is and just how much history it holds. I couldn't help but think about Yaz, Fisk, Ortiz, Mo Vaughn....anyways, the history is so great, and it really is a cool stadium. Tingly sports feelings are pretty sweet (like when I think about Coach Paul Johnson).
We have seats in the RF bleachers, and they are perfect. While the seats are small, the view is great. I got some good pictures from our seats that I will post later on. Shawn was actually able to get Odom and myself the same seats for Friday night, so that should be perfect. The Red Sox score 5 in the 4th to pull away including a Big Papi homerun that lands about 8 rows in front of us. I believe this was also the first Big Papi homerun of the year that did not receive a curtain call (kind of embarrassing). I of course had to get a beer and a Fenway Frank to complete the experience.....both delicious. The bus ride home sucked due to traffic, but overall an amazing first experience at Fenway. Also, I hear that Smoltz is gonna be a starter, so I will be able to go to games in the future knowing that I will definitely see him play. That is good news, as I am in love with that man regardless of the color of his jersey. Also, the bus ride home was a nice mix of young red sox fans and 55 year old women as the Earth, Wind, and Fire concert let out at the same time as the game. Awesome
Randy comes in town Thursday morning. We are heading to Fenway to see the Braves on Friday. I get to go back to Fenway on Sunday to see the Braves again, which is awesome. Other than that, just gonna enjoy the amazing weather and hopefully catch some of the Open. Also, gonna head down early on Friday so that we can go to Game On and/or Baseball Tavern before the game. I want to get on the roof at Baseball Tavern.....
Drew
We have seats in the RF bleachers, and they are perfect. While the seats are small, the view is great. I got some good pictures from our seats that I will post later on. Shawn was actually able to get Odom and myself the same seats for Friday night, so that should be perfect. The Red Sox score 5 in the 4th to pull away including a Big Papi homerun that lands about 8 rows in front of us. I believe this was also the first Big Papi homerun of the year that did not receive a curtain call (kind of embarrassing). I of course had to get a beer and a Fenway Frank to complete the experience.....both delicious. The bus ride home sucked due to traffic, but overall an amazing first experience at Fenway. Also, I hear that Smoltz is gonna be a starter, so I will be able to go to games in the future knowing that I will definitely see him play. That is good news, as I am in love with that man regardless of the color of his jersey. Also, the bus ride home was a nice mix of young red sox fans and 55 year old women as the Earth, Wind, and Fire concert let out at the same time as the game. Awesome
Randy comes in town Thursday morning. We are heading to Fenway to see the Braves on Friday. I get to go back to Fenway on Sunday to see the Braves again, which is awesome. Other than that, just gonna enjoy the amazing weather and hopefully catch some of the Open. Also, gonna head down early on Friday so that we can go to Game On and/or Baseball Tavern before the game. I want to get on the roof at Baseball Tavern.....
Drew
Third Weekend
The BBQ was a lot of fun. The really good news was that I decided to take a shot in the dark and see if dogs were allowed on the T, and indeed they were during off hours at the drivers discretion! This allowed me to take Sierra to the BBQ with me. So Sierra and I hop in Will's car and head over to Russell's. Russell has a very nice setup, with a nice fenced in backyard. He also has a pretty scary 5 pound chihuahua that immediately tried to show Sierra whose house this was. It took Sierra all of about 4 seconds to set Chavez straight and ordered was established. They actually became pretty good buds pretty quickly. Sierra even let him drink from her water bowl.....that is big time in Sierra's book. I guess when you weigh 14 times more than another animal, you make some concessions.
The food at the BBQ was so good. I myself had a couple burgers and some steak tips. Sierra found some suckers to give her a fair share of meat as well. She spent the afternoon doing laps around the yard, finding shade to lie in, and finding young ladies that she knew she could puppy face into marinated meat. Flip cup again broke out, and the natural order of the Southern boy at the top was quickly established. The BBQ started winding down around 9, and plans were formulated for going out. Sierra and I of course had to head for the T to get her home.
We get on the T and we are getting all kinds of looks. Sierra is exhausted and immediately lies down at my feet. She doesn't move the entire ride, including when people pet her. I get three main types of looks. 1) That is a cute dog, can I pet her? 2) What the....you can bring dogs on the T? This kid is crazy 3) Holy crap look at the person killer. She is terrifying. Look how she lies down and sleeps!!! Run!!
We get off the T and Odom and I decide I will walk Sierra home and then potentially meet up. Little did I know that the stop we chose to get off on was about 2-3 miles from my apt. Sierra is not really in the mood for a 3 mile walk, but off we go. I arrive home about 45 minutes later, Sierra goes immediately to her place and crashes. I sit on the couch and wait for Odom's call. After a while, I decide it is probably best to just call it a night. My dog and I are both exhausted, and it is like 11:30. A wonderful day! Meats, beverages, my puppy, and good company....can't ask for much more. I get up around 2:30 to greet the girls as they come home. Sounds like I didn't miss a whole lot.
The food at the BBQ was so good. I myself had a couple burgers and some steak tips. Sierra found some suckers to give her a fair share of meat as well. She spent the afternoon doing laps around the yard, finding shade to lie in, and finding young ladies that she knew she could puppy face into marinated meat. Flip cup again broke out, and the natural order of the Southern boy at the top was quickly established. The BBQ started winding down around 9, and plans were formulated for going out. Sierra and I of course had to head for the T to get her home.
We get on the T and we are getting all kinds of looks. Sierra is exhausted and immediately lies down at my feet. She doesn't move the entire ride, including when people pet her. I get three main types of looks. 1) That is a cute dog, can I pet her? 2) What the....you can bring dogs on the T? This kid is crazy 3) Holy crap look at the person killer. She is terrifying. Look how she lies down and sleeps!!! Run!!
We get off the T and Odom and I decide I will walk Sierra home and then potentially meet up. Little did I know that the stop we chose to get off on was about 2-3 miles from my apt. Sierra is not really in the mood for a 3 mile walk, but off we go. I arrive home about 45 minutes later, Sierra goes immediately to her place and crashes. I sit on the couch and wait for Odom's call. After a while, I decide it is probably best to just call it a night. My dog and I are both exhausted, and it is like 11:30. A wonderful day! Meats, beverages, my puppy, and good company....can't ask for much more. I get up around 2:30 to greet the girls as they come home. Sounds like I didn't miss a whole lot.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Saturday Morning Wicked Weather
Woke up this morning with an extra kick in my step. I took Sierra on a walk around the block and came to the conclusion that the weather literally could not be any better. I would not tweak it in any way if I was able to. It is about 74 degrees, with a nice breeze, not a cloud in the sky, and the sun is shining bright. Sierra was an absolute saint on the walk. A little girl came up to pet her and pretty much ride her, and Sierra was amazing with her. I took a couple pictures of our street and the main drag. We got a BBQ planned at Russell's house (Will's coworker) in Sommerville. A bunch of TJX invitees and me. I really have enjoyed Will's group so much, they are so much fun.
They have a company softball team that is 0-5. They have been mercy ruled every game until Wednesday. On Wednesday, I went out to watch them, and they played by far their best game this year. They went up 4-0 in the first inning. The bad news is that they didn't score another run all game. The good news is that they actually played a bit of defense, and they were playing the nerds from "data control." About half of these guys were playing in denim of some sort....jean shorts, jean jackets, jeans....When a man walks up to the plate in denim, I do not really fear him. The TJX team has a ridiculous amount of girls on the team, which isn't exactly the key to co-ed softball. However, it is the key to really funny trash talking. It was 4-4 in the bottom of the 7th with two outs and guys on first and second. In this league, you get 5 balls before you walk. The douche at the plate took 7 straight pitches and walked.....on top of that, since there was a girl behind him, the guy on second got two bases. A walkoff walk....we waited for him in the parking lot. You don't walk in softball. Data control....clavin. Oh well, the team was ecstatic. 25 cent wings at Fridays quickly healed any wounds they had.
Work is still kicking ass. I got to build a huge compensation model from scratch this weekend that I presented to my boss and a lady in HR. They loved it, so I get to present it next week to the VP of Copy and the VP of HR. I am very anxious....but it should be awesome, and it will be great exposure. Overall, everybody at work has been great, and I am really enjoying what I am doing. Hope all is well in the dirty south! Gonna go enjoy the wicked aahsome weather.....retahded aahsome.
Drew
They have a company softball team that is 0-5. They have been mercy ruled every game until Wednesday. On Wednesday, I went out to watch them, and they played by far their best game this year. They went up 4-0 in the first inning. The bad news is that they didn't score another run all game. The good news is that they actually played a bit of defense, and they were playing the nerds from "data control." About half of these guys were playing in denim of some sort....jean shorts, jean jackets, jeans....When a man walks up to the plate in denim, I do not really fear him. The TJX team has a ridiculous amount of girls on the team, which isn't exactly the key to co-ed softball. However, it is the key to really funny trash talking. It was 4-4 in the bottom of the 7th with two outs and guys on first and second. In this league, you get 5 balls before you walk. The douche at the plate took 7 straight pitches and walked.....on top of that, since there was a girl behind him, the guy on second got two bases. A walkoff walk....we waited for him in the parking lot. You don't walk in softball. Data control....clavin. Oh well, the team was ecstatic. 25 cent wings at Fridays quickly healed any wounds they had.
Work is still kicking ass. I got to build a huge compensation model from scratch this weekend that I presented to my boss and a lady in HR. They loved it, so I get to present it next week to the VP of Copy and the VP of HR. I am very anxious....but it should be awesome, and it will be great exposure. Overall, everybody at work has been great, and I am really enjoying what I am doing. Hope all is well in the dirty south! Gonna go enjoy the wicked aahsome weather.....retahded aahsome.
Drew
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