Explore the Concrete Beach

So how was your Christmas?

I hope it was good. I got my Keurig Mini-coffee maker from my sister and was thrilled. Though I don’t drink coffee, I do drink teas and hot chocolate and I have had about 20 cups since Christmas Eve when I got my gift.

Why Christmas Eve?

Well when my sister (Becky) and I were younger we use to have those in school “Santa’s Workshop” days where your parents gave you like $20 and you bought a bunch of crap for your family. Becky and I would then pass them out to our family, my dad’s side, on Christmas Eve that why they would get presents from use the day before and Christmas morning was spent opening up everything my parents, grandparents and aunt and uncle bought us. Christmas Eve was the time Becky and I exchanged presents with each other.

It became a tradition, even though my dad just wants to open everything on Christmas Eve because he says he wants to sleep in on Christmas, though the man can’t sleep past 7AM when we do presents at 9.

As we aged we’ve up graded the presents from random mugs and picture frames to clothes, golf clubs, and even a computer. Yes, a computer. We bought it for my parents a few years ago.  Don’t know if it was the wisest thing in the world, but we did it.

On Christmas I opened up a Wii. I was excited, but I find it funny when my parents said they didn’t know what to get me so they got me a Wii. If I was younger still and asked for a Wii, my parent’s would probably have looked at each other and rolled their eyes, but when you’re 28 and they have no clue on what to get you apparently video games systems are the way to go. I was excited for the Wii and have been playing it since Christmas Day, it’s like I’m 14 again playing on my N64.

Best. System. Ever!

So those were my main gifts on Christmas I did get a nice Penguins hoodie too! Can’t go wrong with a Pens hoodie.

So how was your Christmas and can you believe it’s almost 2010?

Where has the decade gone?

Which also means I graduated high school 10 years ago. Wow.

:blink:

That’s still odd to me, but I know we will not have a reunion as my senior class did not like each other that well and the people in charge did nothing with our class, except design the crappiest senior t-shirts ever and they wonder why no one bought them. Shooting stars are not something everyone would want to wear on a t-shirt.

Later this week my top memories from the last decade.

Mark

Where to begin?

I know where!

Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas or whatever holiday you may celebrate or not.

A lot has happened since Christmas Eve to get caught up on. I have been busy running around to grandparent’s houses, aunts and uncles houses and my own house there was not much time to write.

OK let’s get the sad stuff out of the way.

Harold Pinter and Eartha Kit passed away.

Pinter was an actor/playwright who I don’t know much about other than his play “The Homecoming,” which I saw last year. He’s won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2005. Like I said I don’t know much about him except one play, but it was a good one.

The sadder passing was Eartha Kitt. Best known for playing Catwomen in the TV Series “Batman,” due to Julie Newmar not being available for the final season she got the part and for the 1953 song “Santa Baby.”  She had one of the most distinctive voices ever. I got to see Kitt back in 2000 when I was in New York. She was in a show called “The Wild Party,” which starred Mandy Pantinkin and Toni Collette. The show was OK, but it was Kitts two solo numbers that were the most memorable. I know there is a YouTube clip with the cast at the Tony Awards that I will have to post later.

Ok, on to Christmas re-cap.

As tradition in my family on Christmas Eve we order a large tray of Chick-Fil-A nuggets. I know how odd for a Christmas Eve dinner. They serve to purposes. I don’t eat fish, never ever liked it and that’s what everyone else eats so I enjoy some nice nuggets and pierogies. Second reason is that after dinner and before the family opens the gifts my sister and I purchased there is wine and drinks! Woo!

So the second purpose is when people get a little hungry while drinking they hit the spot. And if you never had cold Chick-Fil-A nuggets then you’re really missing out because they are better than hot nuggets.

So Christmas came and went with no fanfare. I got the assorted gift cards, clothes and money for books. I did not get a Muppet Whatnot, so it looks like I have to get one myself.

The Penguins won one and lost one, and the Steelers finished off the regular season witha  0-31 stomping of the Cleveland Browns. 

I just realized I have 2 weeks before classes start and I don’t have one book yet and the school has yet to send me my e-mail information.

Nothing like stress at the beginning of a new year!

Ok that’s it for now, if I have time later I have a mall story, if not later than tomorrow for sure.

OK, Later!

As I sit here at work on Christmas Eve and try to forget about the wrinkled old lady who lit a cigarette up at Pizza Milano yesterday and ashed on my food and was unapologetic, and the un-inspiring play of the Penguins last night, I just want to take the time and say thanks to everyone who has been reading.

I’ll be taking a little break over the next few days, but will post if anything interesting happens or I find something I want to write about, as this blog is really a place for me to think, vent and share what I like and keeps me from going insane at work.

Above all, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone, I wish we has some snow here in Pittsburgh, but I guess the fake stuff here on the page will have to do.

Best Wishes

Mark

I was walking around downtown Pittsburgh this afternoon on my lunch break. Surprisingly it was not unbearably cold. It was cold, but not OMGWTFBBQ cold. There was a hint on sunlight and by the time I walked back to the office I was really warm.

That also could have been to my newest addiction Starbuck Peppermint Mocha Twist; I swear it tastes just like an Andes Candies.

It was fairly quite on the walk no crazy people to stare at, CVS on Smithfield was busy, but not unbearable, the pharmacist trying to explain to one man that his doctor has to call in if they changed his prescription and then had to explain if you only want 2.5 mg cut the 5mg pill in half.

I was a little amused by that sight.

Then I walked over to The Exchange across the street to browse some DVDs. I didn’t stay long as the place smelled like cat piss. And yes, I do know what cat piss smells like.

Little known fact, I can smell urine a mile away. Not like you care, I think I picked it up after living downtown for 4 years. The smell never leaves you as every abandoned store front smelled like it.

I just realized Christmas is a week from today. I guess I should wrap some presents. I finished shopping yesterday and as I was walking the mall I overheard chatter from many people how they just begun their shopping.

Poor suckers.

Oh I forgot to say I set up one Christmas present yesterday. A new 52” Sony Bravia LCD TV. It’s huge! It takes up half a wall in my house but really cool to look at, because when you stick huge TV in a small room it’s ridiculous how bright something can be. I need to wear sunglasses while watching it.

Hmmm…Wonder if the Pens game tonight is in HD, probably not as it’s away and at Atlanta. Got to check the schedule.

Ok that’s it for now. Get shopping if you haven’t started!

Later!

Happy Winter Food Fest Day!

I know a lot of you just said, “WTF is a Winter Food Fest?”

Well at my job the office ladies like to eat and by eat they want all 50 people in our area of the building to make something and we eat all day. Most of you probably call it a Pot Luck, but here they call them Food Fests.

But this is a Winter Food Fest, which means people pony up $10 and we get our meal catered. So, it’s a mini-holiday party, since we didn’t have one this year as a company, or you can call it a mini-Christmas party, but we aren’t allowed to use the term Holiday or Christmas, or Chanukah etc…

Why?

Well it’s because do to peoples religious beliefs they won’t participate if the word Holiday or Christmas is attached to it. I totally respect other people’s religions if they don’t force their beliefs on me.

That’s where I take issue with some people during this time of year. If you don’t celebrate Christmas then why do you take off Christmas day? Why don’t you come in and work and use a floating holiday? Some people like to preach there religion at work and that really isn’t the place for it and they push there beliefs on people and it just ticks me off.

I’m glad some people are passionate about their religion, but honestly I don’t care because most of the time it sounds preachy and, once again, you are doing it at work which is not the place to push religious agenda’s, it’s tacky to me.

So today we celebrate winter, a few days early, and I am surprised no one has an objection to the word winter.

So, I know a few of my friends are having Pot Lucks and other luncheons today so everyone raise a glass or a cracker top with buffalo chicken dip and toast to the non-holiday, non-Christmas Winter Food Fest.