Photos: Birthday Happy Hour

Now that I’m back from Denver, I’ve got a little bit of a backlog as it pertains to pictures and things to write about… so with that in mind, it’s time to get cracking, and start catching up with all of the events before and after my trip.

I’m not really that big on birthday parties, but one thing I like do to do every year is simply get my local buds out for good food and drinks in honor of my birthday.  This year, I invited those who wanted to come and drink and eat good barbecue out to Moe’s Original Barbecue, which is like my current favorite BBQ restaurant in Atlanta, because they have the greatest wings in the city, seriously.

I was honestly nervous about the weather, since there were some dark rain clouds looming up above throughout the afternoon, but fortunately for all of us, it stayed put, and it turned out to be a pretty relaxing evening of good food, drink and company.  And I would be remiss if I did not say that I am very grateful and thankful to those who showed up to give me a little bit of their time all because of my silly birthday.  You guys are all awesome.

So anyway, I’m 31 now.  Old as shit, and feeling it in my back and shoulders these days.

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Photos: The Color Run

The Color Run was pretty much everything I had expected it to be – non-competitive, more relaxing and recreational, fun, and messy as all hell.  It took place at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which to anyone who isn’t aware, is actually practically 50 miles south of the actual city.  But the 3.1 mile 5K course essentially was a gigantic circle around the parking lot of the track, with portals of people throwing and squirting colored, corn-starch based powder everywhere, which at the end made most people this grayish-greenish zombie color.

Regardless, it was a lot of fun, the weather couldn’t have possibly been any better on this particular day, and the fact that there was actual good company to spend it with made it all the best.  Even if we were all filthy and were blowing odd colored stuff from our noses for the rest of the weekend.

Oh yeah, it should be worth noting that I kept my camera out pretty much the whole time, uncovered.  As a result, it was obliterated with powder, and the resulting pictures have a lot of them hazy, dust-covered, or pretty grainy.  I did what I could, but only so much can overcome actual lens interference.

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I don’t think I like this place anymore

I’ve seen this sign countless times in my life, but I never really thought about it until today. Visually, it’s essentially a can with a bite taken out it. A can. An aluminum one, I’m presuming, no less. There’s also a piece of paper or something behind it, but the focal point of it is still a can, with a bite taken out of it.

Who the hell would take a bite of a can? I don’t understand it. I also don’t understand how such a shoddy display of “art” is the de facto visual representation of attempting to discourage people from littering.

The message really being sent is “we understand that that aluminum can probably did not taste vey good in that massive bite you took, Mr. Sasquatch, but please don’t haphazardly toss it aside.”

But this was one of the fluffier thoughts going through my head this weekend. Otherwise, it’s been a fairly trying and difficult few days, and I can’t really sleep right now, because all I really feel is this gloomy disappointed feeling. Naturally, out of courtesy to those who wish to look/”borrow” pictures or see what lame attempts at humor I make next, I’ll keep the more emo-y words behind a courtesy jump, for all six of you that actually read what I write.

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Photos: Burgers and Boozy Shakes at Grindhouse

In honor of friends coming all the way down from Charlottesville to visit the ol’ ATL, a gathering of sorts, at Grindhouse Killer Burgers.  Where we chowed down on some tasty hamburgers, watched an old-ass flick from 1969 (Marooned, starring Gene Hackman), and where some of us indulged in some booze-induced milkshakes.  Also, a bucket filled with piss-water AKA Pabst Blue Ribbon.  It was ten bucks and the jew in me couldn’t resist the deal.

Tons of selfies and other goofy pictures after the jump.

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I’ve been in a funk lately

And I’ve got a pretty short fuse, and just about everything in the world is agitating me lately.

I could go into further detail, but the effort required to formulate my thoughts into words to describe how much work is sucking lately, and how much it sucks to think about what it’s going to be like the next time go up to Virginia to visit family just seems so exasperating.

It’s also one of those periods of time when I feel kind of isolated from the world, and that there’s really nobody around that I feel comfortable speaking with who’s remotely available to speak with when I need it.

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A little bit of reality

In spite of the fact that I have a tendency to try to not entirely get too personal with what I write on my brog, there comes times in which frankly I don’t feel like there’s anyone I can really talk to and actually feel like I’m getting any modicum of empathy or support.  And I can’t really say that people are obligated to provide such, since we all have our own problems in our lives, and some most certainly more severe than others, especially compared to someone else’s problems.  I think we live in a pretty screwed up times right now, everyone is a little bit more jaded, everyone is a little bit more hardened, and it’s hard to be sympathetic towards others when the world around just ourselves isn’t entirely the best it could possibly be.

It’s times like this in which, where sometimes it really feels like all I can do to not feel so bottled up is to just write it out, throw it up on the brog, and leave it to random chance to who reads it or not, and whether or not they want to do their best impression of an ear to speak into, despite the fact that I’ll likely be writing out everything I’d be saying anyway.  Nobody wants accountability anyway, so there’s no obligation, and I don’t track who reads what I write, let alone sees or acknowledges that I write, because I’m long beyond the days of obsessively tracking hits and analytics, since I always felt that such research took something away from the exercise of simply writing.

For the past two years and change, my parents have been having some marital issues.  I’m old enough to understand the situation, and not fall into the clichéd fallacy of believing that it’s by any fault of my own or my sister’s, but it still doesn’t really make it any easier to know that the relationship between my own mother and father is deteriorating, and despite their bullshit claims, is not getting better.  At this point, for the sake of their sanity, as well as for my sister and I’s as well, divorce looks to be the best possible option, and it’s got to be pretty bad when divorce is seen as a positive option.

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Photos: Porkapalooza 2013

This past weekend, I made a brief trip up to Charlottesville to visit some friends.  On the docket was a trip into rural bumfuck Gordonsville, where they happened to have a pretty decent barbecue joint called The Barbecue Exchange, where they happened to be having their annual Porkapalooza event.  Basically, ten bucks, and as much bbq buffet as one can stomach.

In spite of snow flurries and actual freezing temperatures, it was a good occasion of eating pigs like pigs, as well as enjoying good company.  The quality of the bbq, despite being churned out quickly for buffet purposes, was still pretty good, and I liked their variety of sauces.  Their creative desserts were also almost all very good.

In terms of bang for buck, it really doesn’t get any better than this, so I’d have to say Porkapalooza was one fantastic event, and was a highlight of a pretty pleasant trip.

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