It is almost the New Year and personally, I can't wait for 2011 to be over. Haven't had much luck this year... worked shitty job after shitty job, moved into a way-to-expensive apartment with a girl who was supposed to be my friend. Got punched in the face (literally and metaphorically). Was totally broke. Lost a few really awesome people to God's greedy-ness. Lost touch with friends. Oh well, that is life.
Okay, enough feeling sorry for myself. Let's keep it glass-half-full. The year had it's highlights, too. Plenty of them. Hmmm, let's see...
I learned a lot. Like when Captain Spualding ate a condom out of the trash can and I had to take him to the vet. I got a lot of strange looks and laughs telling the doctor what happened. He was all silly and drunk all day from the medicine, I couldn't be mad.
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| silly drunk kitty |
or how when I had that shitty job working the midnight shift at The Pub - a local Pub/Diner/Hangout Spot and would constantly get creeped on be random weirdos, get shitty tips and get harassed by non-English speaking bus-boys.
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| Go ahead, give him a call. |
Or how about the first time I ever used a laundry matt! It's the little things.
There were the glory days of Home School Dropouts (no longer together). For awhile it felt like our lives revolved around going to shows, practicing, selling T-shirts and CD's. We were always together. Hell, we were hanging out even when band shit WASN'T involved. I miss it - but then I remember how much of a pain in the ass it was. Oh well. They were good memories. Like that place with the shitty sound, The Rusty Nail. Remember when Colby and Sammy flipped their car on the way home from that place and we spent all night in the ER worrying about them!? Or the even shittier bar in New Jersey - Champs - and how we accidentally stole a couple hundred dollars worth of equipment from another band? (Great job, guys) Or how about The North Star Bar CD Release Show and how Ken talked shit on Facebook the entire night?
That was our Heyday. Northtub.
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| The Rusty Nail April 2011 |
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| Champs May 2011 |
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| After Champs - Kaschak, David, Stefano |
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| The North Star Bar - June 2011 |
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| Setting up the Merch table at North Star |
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| Outside North Star - Ryan, Kaschak and Spanky |
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| The Whiskey Tango - August 2011 |
We took some awesome trips this summer, most of them to the New Jersey shores. Some we took with friends, some with family - we always managed to screw things up in one way or another. Makes for better memories, though. Ryan went to Ocean City, NJ with the band - managed to lose Kaschak's sunglasses in the ocean, bring back the game of suey and get lost in bumble-fuck New Jersey all in one day. Another time Ryan went to LBI to stay at my cousins house. We cruised around town all weekend - I rode my bike, he rode his long board. It was perfect. One night I lost his hoodie but he didn't care. I didn't want that trip to end.
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| eating Ben & Jerry's |
Another time I visit LBI with my girlfriend, Lauren, and her little girl, Estella. My little cousin, Ajay, and Estella are about the same age. It was tons of fun taking them to the fair and to the beach. We got a lot of weird "Teen Mom" looks from people. We loved it.
There were always trips to Wildwood with Ryan's family or Little Oyster Creek to visit Ryan's grandparents. But my favorite trip this year was to visit my cousins in Tallahasse, Florida. From the airplane to the beach to just hanging out with the family - it was an awesome trip.
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| at the Phila Int. Airport |
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| In the air |
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| Wakulla Springs |
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| DAT DERS A GAYTER! |
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| First Friday with some one-of-a-kind galleries near FSU |
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| Eating alligator tail at some random farm festival in the middle of no-where, Florida! |
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| Some very random and very awesome trucks off the side of the rode |
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| Some random folks we found in the woods. |
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| my cousin's coffee maker that Ryan was so obsessed with that he even took a picture of it |
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| A gray day in the Gulf of Mexico |
We moved into our new apartment in Bristol this year. After the too-exspensive apartment we had, we were close to living in a box - so anything would do. When we found this little place in Bristol, I fell in love. I absolutely love the neighborhood here. It's so rich in history and tradition. The neighbors say Hello when you walk by. You can actually WALK to places (besides 711) I am proud to call Bristol Borough my home.
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| Resting amid chaos |
Oh yeah, there was the little rain storm called Hurricane Irene. THAT was fun.
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| a store around the corner from us |
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| when there is no power- everyone comes outside |
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| the river threw up |
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| Ryan watching full trees and sheds float down the Delaware |
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| the river flooded every day for about 2 weeks |
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| Ryan got stung by a bee while taking this photo |
Hmmm.. let's see. There is something I am missing. I know something else happened this year, but what was it. Uhhh, it was important, too. Lemme think. Wait! I know!
THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT
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| General Assembly |
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| General Assembly |
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| Hey look! It's me sitting with 5,000 of my friends |
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| Hey look! It's my sexy ass getting arrested |
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| Occupy Philly Eviction |
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| My friends and I were voted "Person of the Year" |
I guess it was a good year after all.
Happy New Year!
"Be always at War with your vices,
at peace with your neighbors,
and let each New Year find you
a better person."
-Benjamen Franklin
