I fucking hate rewards cards.
Sorry, that was pretty blunt. I don't like 'rewards' cards. The whole premise is stupid. It's like an eternal coupon that can track your purchasing habits. Why not lower all of the prices?
To get to the point, I went to the Pick 'n Save that's fairly close to my house. Usually you can get the rewards cards at the checkout, so that's what I assumed. My total bill was $180.41, and I asked to get a card. She said I had to go to customer service. I asked the lady if she could use here, and she said she couldn't give me the discount now, and that I could go to the service counter after the transaction. This also meant the couple of flyer coupons wouldn't work. Thankfully, the lady behind me had a card and was nice enough to use hers. My new total was $110.09.
$70 dollars, for a stupid barcode.
Anyway, I put my groceries in the car and came back in to get my card. I had to give my name, address, and phone number. For what I have no idea, but apparently, it's worth about $70 dollars.
Did I mention I hate rewards cards?
Busy
Ok, so I had grand plans to update this everyday, and that just isn't going to happen. I've got tons of situations, but most nights I don't feel like typing about them, so I kinda go in bursts. I've got a big backlog of semi finished posts which are just waiting for me to feel motivated. So, from now on I'm going to try to to at least a couple a week, and I'm also posting about this blog to all the friends on the facebooks. Enjoy the window into my awkward life. I'm off to D.C!
Wandering to the Nomad
The Nomad World Pub is right across the street from me. They are apparently the place to go for Futbol! They also have a super cheap happy hour. From 4:00 to 4:15, everything is one dollar. Apparently everyone is a hipster too. Soooo many tattoos and mother of pearl button snap shirts. I really don't like going to busy bars alone. I can handle dead ones, but when everyone else is already talking to people, I feel out of place. I got a Bell's Two Hearted and sat at a table by my self and watched soccer. Next time, I'll talk to someone. GOALLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!
Bee Clean
Let's play a game:
Q: What's the best way to start your day after a night of drinking and roller derby?
A: Take a shower!
Good job. Next question:
Q: What's the worst time to have a wasp near you?
A: WHEN YOU'RE NAKED! IN THE SHOWER!
Dude was crawling on the shower curtain. It's warm out, I get it. I don't hate him for being there, just for scaring the shit out of me. Thankfully, I was in the one place where messing yourself isn't a super big deal. Anyway, I put on my big boy pants, finished my shower, toweled off, and murdered the fucker with a towel. Happy Sunday!
p.s. Not the Bees!
Q: What's the best way to start your day after a night of drinking and roller derby?
A: Take a shower!
Good job. Next question:
Q: What's the worst time to have a wasp near you?
A: WHEN YOU'RE NAKED! IN THE SHOWER!
Dude was crawling on the shower curtain. It's warm out, I get it. I don't hate him for being there, just for scaring the shit out of me. Thankfully, I was in the one place where messing yourself isn't a super big deal. Anyway, I put on my big boy pants, finished my shower, toweled off, and murdered the fucker with a towel. Happy Sunday!
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| From http://www.flickr.com/photos/tombonte/6041612016/ |
p.s. Not the Bees!
We die when the strangers leave...
I'm still getting used to not being in Peoria. Making a big change like this didn't come without some trepidation. Once I decided to make the move, life was in limbo for a couple months. Reality finally hit me a week before moving when I tried to pack up some of my stuff. Packing up your own stuff is weird. Having movers come and pack up your stuff is a little bit weirder. Like, someone's going through all of your stuff. Because they are.
Part of the relocation package with Caterpillar was a professional moving service. Allied Van Lines were the people that moved me and did a decent job. Unfortunately, it's boring. You sit there on the couch and watch them go through all your stuff. It took hours, and I don't have much stuff. Very strange indeed. It is nice to not have to do it yourself though, so I guess the uncomfortable bits are outweighed by my lazyness. Also, it was free so I can't complain. They didn't really pack up anything too weird together. The strangest thing I found was a sponge (new, thankfully) that was put in with my video games. When you get to your destination they are supposed to unpack it for you, but they basically take it out of the box and throw it on a table, which isn't very helpful. I ended up doing that on my own, so they didn't put all of my kitchen stuff in the bathtub.
Now I know I joke around a lot, and it's often hard to take me seriously. That being said, moving away from Peoria is probably the second hardest thing I've ever had to do. The hardest thing was signing Rick's DNR(do not resuscitate) order when he was dying of cancer. I don't mean to be overly sentimental, but it really did affect me. I know I'll get over it, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard. I know goodbye isn't forever, but what was there is never going to be the same, and all things change.
Part of the relocation package with Caterpillar was a professional moving service. Allied Van Lines were the people that moved me and did a decent job. Unfortunately, it's boring. You sit there on the couch and watch them go through all your stuff. It took hours, and I don't have much stuff. Very strange indeed. It is nice to not have to do it yourself though, so I guess the uncomfortable bits are outweighed by my lazyness. Also, it was free so I can't complain. They didn't really pack up anything too weird together. The strangest thing I found was a sponge (new, thankfully) that was put in with my video games. When you get to your destination they are supposed to unpack it for you, but they basically take it out of the box and throw it on a table, which isn't very helpful. I ended up doing that on my own, so they didn't put all of my kitchen stuff in the bathtub.
Now I know I joke around a lot, and it's often hard to take me seriously. That being said, moving away from Peoria is probably the second hardest thing I've ever had to do. The hardest thing was signing Rick's DNR(do not resuscitate) order when he was dying of cancer. I don't mean to be overly sentimental, but it really did affect me. I know I'll get over it, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard. I know goodbye isn't forever, but what was there is never going to be the same, and all things change.
So one thing I've learned my friends is all good times have to end
and when those times come around we burn, we burn, we burn, them down
and I sing most every night when the lights are low and we all die
and we die most every night
we die, we die, we die
Gotta go to work
The whole reason I moved to Milwaukee is because I took a new job. Monday was my first day.
It actually wasn't as bad as I thought. My first day consisted of 5 hours of training on a program I didn't know and didn't have access too. I found my desk and got some things organized. The worst part is meeting all the new people. The conversations are always the same. "Hey, this is Mike. He's new." "Oh, cool. Nice to meet you. Anyway..." and then you stand there awkwardly while they talk to the person that introduced you. Not my favorite thing in the world.
Did I mention I don't know what I'm doing in this job? I think that's going to be the hardest part of my transition. Bucyrus had all of their own systems and idiosyncrasies that I need to adjust to. I am looking forward to possibly traveling to Australia and Germany though. There's a lot to learn about everything before that happens. Thankfully, I already learned where the bathroom is, and I suppose that's a start.
It actually wasn't as bad as I thought. My first day consisted of 5 hours of training on a program I didn't know and didn't have access too. I found my desk and got some things organized. The worst part is meeting all the new people. The conversations are always the same. "Hey, this is Mike. He's new." "Oh, cool. Nice to meet you. Anyway..." and then you stand there awkwardly while they talk to the person that introduced you. Not my favorite thing in the world.
Did I mention I don't know what I'm doing in this job? I think that's going to be the hardest part of my transition. Bucyrus had all of their own systems and idiosyncrasies that I need to adjust to. I am looking forward to possibly traveling to Australia and Germany though. There's a lot to learn about everything before that happens. Thankfully, I already learned where the bathroom is, and I suppose that's a start.
Comet Cafe
So this is the place I wanted to go. Comet Cafe. Not Sobelman's. COMET. Now that I knew where it was, I was dead set on going here. Unfortunately in my awkward half step past the door the last time, I didn't notice there were two doors. My luck, I pick the wrong one.
So here's the deal. I open the wrong door, and am basically standing at a server station. The server stares at me, and then goes and works a table. No words. Then, I look to the right, and see the people waiting in line. It's into the windbreak room. I walk through the line, and stand there awkwardly in the foyer. Then I see someone go up to the bar and sign in. Mother effer. So I walk back through the line of people to put my name down. Thankfully, a server asks if it's only me and that there are spots open at the bar. So I sit down and grab what I think is a menu. It's a drink menu, and the guy that just sat me is cleaning and switching out the pages. Awesome. I finally get a real food menu and a clean/new drink menu. I ordered the Reuben, and it was delicious. I also ordered a 3 floyds, as I couldn't get the beer in Illinois. Half way through the meal, the guy comes back and asks if I want free bacon.
I repeat:
Of course I got free bacon. Like half a pound of it. The people sitting next to me were on the fence about getting some, so I shared my basket. The girl on the other side was vegetarian, so she didn't want my bacon. Her loss, I pigged out. This place rules.
So here's the deal. I open the wrong door, and am basically standing at a server station. The server stares at me, and then goes and works a table. No words. Then, I look to the right, and see the people waiting in line. It's into the windbreak room. I walk through the line, and stand there awkwardly in the foyer. Then I see someone go up to the bar and sign in. Mother effer. So I walk back through the line of people to put my name down. Thankfully, a server asks if it's only me and that there are spots open at the bar. So I sit down and grab what I think is a menu. It's a drink menu, and the guy that just sat me is cleaning and switching out the pages. Awesome. I finally get a real food menu and a clean/new drink menu. I ordered the Reuben, and it was delicious. I also ordered a 3 floyds, as I couldn't get the beer in Illinois. Half way through the meal, the guy comes back and asks if I want free bacon.
I repeat:
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| I made this. Look at how pretty it is. It kinda looks like bacon text. Mmmm bacon. |
Of course I got free bacon. Like half a pound of it. The people sitting next to me were on the fence about getting some, so I shared my basket. The girl on the other side was vegetarian, so she didn't want my bacon. Her loss, I pigged out. This place rules.
Sobelman's Tallgrass Grill
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| Still don't want to go here. |
Anyway, Sobelman's is supposed to be a staple in Milwaukee. People claim it's some of the best burger joints in town. This, however, is not the original Sobelman's. The restaurant is a small little place with aluminum chairs and tables. It felt very clinical, and that's not a compliment. I got a bacon cheeseburger and fries. The bun was the highlight. It was slightly sweet and flaky and grilled and yum. Fries were cooked properly and unremarkable. The cheese was all melty, which is always a plus. The burger just wasn't terribly remarkable. Not too much flavor. It wasn't dry, it just didn't really have any caramelization or tasty brown bits. I might need to go to the real place before making a final decision on Sobelman's but I'm not optamistic. Currently, it's a pass. Like, walk on by without the awkward half step. I'll work on that...
Parking Pass
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| Not the Entrance, well, for parking passes anyway. |
Is it wrong to feel weird walking into the Police Station? I know I haven't done anything wrong, but it weirds me out a bit. Maybe it's some latent concern about our justice system and the people who are supposed to protect us. I felt the same way when I had jury duty late last year. Anyway, I digress.
Parking passes. They're an evil, evil part of living in a city. Parking laws are possibly a little more complicated than taxes, and there's no way you ever get money back from the process. Since my new apartment was built before 1970, has 3 units, and is 3 stories tall, but has a grand total of zero parking spots, I'm allowed to get a day parking pass, and a night parking pass. This allows me to park in non-paying spots (no meters) and never have to move my car, which is actually a decent parking perk in the city. Now, how to get one
Ah yes, back to the Police Station. The station for my district is west of town, close to Marquette University. It's a giant complex of offices, courtrooms, storage, and probably criminals. The corridors are labyrinthine, and it's really poorly labeled once you get inside. The main facade of the building is the officer entrance, which I learned as the cops told me I couldn't go in that door. You have to walk half way around the building to a side street. Ok. After walking up a set of stairs to what I thought was the second floor, you go through the obligatory post 9/11 metal detector. I quickly realize that this is not the second floor, but the 1st, somehow. I find a stairwell, go up one flight, and see a line of people waiting in front of a window that says 'Parking Fines and Permits'. I get in line and ask one of the people if this was the correct line. He assures me it is. After waiting 20 minutes and getting to the front of the line, I can assure you he was wrong. I wanted 212, not 202. Oh. Walking to the complete opposite of the hall I find 209, 210, and 213. 212 was conveniently not labeled. It was the door next to the stairwell I came up. A stranger thankfully told me where to go and we had a decent conversation about the day parking pass; she was hoping to get one, but was told she was ineligible. After finding the desk, the clerk was decently nice for working in a city office, and I was quickly on my way with parking passes in hand. They're now on my car, and I've yet to get a ticket. I'm sure I'll get one eventually, and in that case I'll be prepared. Room 202, I'll be seeing you.
Apollo Cafe
So only being in this town a couple of days, I've noticed a trend of sorta serve yourself diners. They usually have a central order board, and then depending on the location, some table service of some kind. The Apollo Cafe is one type of these restaurants.
The Apollo Cafe is just down the street from where I live. Literally 100 feet. You walk in, and there are a bunch of tables. All the way in the back is a counter, with a menu behind it. There is also a pissed off looking Lebanese man waiting to take your order. Ordering is easy enough, as I've done that plenty of times in my life. I get the gyro platter with a greek side salad and go take a seat. When the food is ready, this place doesn't bring it to you, they yell at you to come pick it up. The system works fairly ok. To the left of the counter there's all the silverware and napkins and accoutrements needed.
The food here is good. Haven't had a quality gyro since living in Metro Detroit. They also give you a squeeze bottle of the yogurt sauce, so you can't complain about not getting enough. The greek salad was pretty good too. I'm not a super picky eater, but there are some things I don't care for. There's also some things I don't think I care for, but haven't tried in forever. Pepperchinis is one of the latter. Had two in my salad and they were actually quite tasty. So, chalk one up for doing something new. Don't know why I thought they were bad, but whatever. I still don't like raw tomato or olives, which were also in the salad (After traveling to Italy and trying them there, I figured I'll probably never like them). Overall, everything was tasty.
Now, I hate this part at restaurants like this. What do you do with your plates? It's a semi serve yourself restaurant, there's no signs, and no one has left since I've been here so I can't follow their lead. Thankfully, a two top to the left of me is finishing up. They stack everything on a tray like they're going to buss the table themselves, and then just leave it there. Cool. I do as they do. Disaster averted. I walk out into the chilly March air and take a deep breath.
p.s. Their website is uber cheesetastic: http://www.apollocafe.com/
The Apollo Cafe is just down the street from where I live. Literally 100 feet. You walk in, and there are a bunch of tables. All the way in the back is a counter, with a menu behind it. There is also a pissed off looking Lebanese man waiting to take your order. Ordering is easy enough, as I've done that plenty of times in my life. I get the gyro platter with a greek side salad and go take a seat. When the food is ready, this place doesn't bring it to you, they yell at you to come pick it up. The system works fairly ok. To the left of the counter there's all the silverware and napkins and accoutrements needed.
The food here is good. Haven't had a quality gyro since living in Metro Detroit. They also give you a squeeze bottle of the yogurt sauce, so you can't complain about not getting enough. The greek salad was pretty good too. I'm not a super picky eater, but there are some things I don't care for. There's also some things I don't think I care for, but haven't tried in forever. Pepperchinis is one of the latter. Had two in my salad and they were actually quite tasty. So, chalk one up for doing something new. Don't know why I thought they were bad, but whatever. I still don't like raw tomato or olives, which were also in the salad (After traveling to Italy and trying them there, I figured I'll probably never like them). Overall, everything was tasty.
Now, I hate this part at restaurants like this. What do you do with your plates? It's a semi serve yourself restaurant, there's no signs, and no one has left since I've been here so I can't follow their lead. Thankfully, a two top to the left of me is finishing up. They stack everything on a tray like they're going to buss the table themselves, and then just leave it there. Cool. I do as they do. Disaster averted. I walk out into the chilly March air and take a deep breath.
p.s. Their website is uber cheesetastic: http://www.apollocafe.com/
Bright Lights, Bigger City
So here's the deal: I'm a 26 year old engineer who just transferred jobs. My previous 3.5 years were spent in Central Illinois, so that's where most of my friends are. As of March 1st, I'm a resident of Milwaukee, WI. I don't know anything about the area or too many people, which is partially why I'm starting this blog.
I'm not a terribly shy person, or a very awkward person, or extremely antisocial or anything. Really. I do have some anxiety in certain situations though, which I think most people can sympathize with. Do you like calling strangers on the phone? Neither do I. Being the first person to show up at a dinner reservation you didn't make? Hate it. Don't know if you want paper or plastic? Ok, you might be weirder than I am. The point is, there are a lot of things in life that are uncomfortable or outside of our comfort zone. So what to do? This is an exercise is expanding my comfort zone in a city I am very uncomfortable with currently. I have no delusions that everything I post here is going to be earth shattering or very special. Most of the stuff will probably basic and mundane things like trying strange food, probably wrapped around a review of a restaurant or something. Some might be goals I've had for a while but haven't done (skydiving, you will be mine). Suggestions are welcome. Either way, I'm going to try to post one thing a day that I was uncomfortable with. Maybe with a freak-out of meter? We'll see.
Anyway, UncomfortaBlog
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