Thursday, May 26, 2005

College memories...

Yesterday, I was walking north on 3rd street from Speed to go to Phase 2. I tried to remember what it was like to walk that path over 3 years ago. The swing set was there to the left and so was the fountain. Usually kids were playing in it, taunting me to come join them instead of doing calculus homework. Jay-walking was still a fairly new concept but usually wasn't difficult at 9:15am. The lawn behind Ekstrom was green and had many trees, including the largest tree on campus.

As I rounded the corner, one memory grabbed my attention: me walking this path with two good friends one morning after a Calculus 3 test. I remembered the conversation we were having that fateful morning; it made me smile. I continued walking up to Center Hall and felt like my presensence there was fulfilling something- this very moment was meant just for me. It felt all too real again. In a matter of seconds, I again felt like a young freshman with too much time on my hands. I then suddenly became curious. My pace quickened to discover what lay hidden behind some trees. Could it be? It sure was...

Carpe Diem!


Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Alternative sources

It has been almost a year since I was employed by someone who monetarily compensated me for my services. During this past year, my large reserves of money have slowly become exhausted. Now that they no longer exist, I have to resort to making use of the ole freshman trick of looking to alternative sources of money to pay for bills, namely food.

The meal card worked for a while but was quickly depleted due to my “"weight gain plan."” The plan didn'’t work (I know this because I still weigh the same as freshman year) and I used a lot of money in the process. The search for other sources continued but did not last long.

Some may remember another source of money which provided for me in times of dire need freshman year. It was red and announced my UofL school spirit to all who gazed upon its glory. Since that time, it has gone through the typical American cycle of human life by getting fatter and shorter. All that matters is that it now holds more money.

Charles the change cup has visited a record three restaurants this past week.

The first was during a morning visit to Heine Brothers which DLo described in bullet eleven of this post. That morning, I counted out the change to the barista and she laughed as she recalled how she did the same thing the previous night at McDonald's. After buying my iced coffee, I wanted a coffee cake to go with it. I was short one nickel and nearly resorted to searching the parking lot for the one coin I needed, but DLo saved me the embarrassment and gave me a nickel from his car. It was a great way to start the day.

Later that day, Lubbers called me up to eat lunch. I guess that she didn'’t realize that someone else would be joining us, otherwise I know that she wouldn’'t have invited me. We went to Wendy'’s and I let her make the first order. When it came time for me, I ordered a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, a small fry, and a small frosty, all items from the 99 cent menu. The cashier totaled my meal and so the change counting commenced. Both Lubbers and the impatient cashier shook their heads as I counted out quarters, dimes, and nickels for three things off the 99 cent menu. I love that menu. It’s so cheap!

The third and latest was a trip to Smoothie King after a serious workout at the gym with Robb. Going with Robb was the greatest because he encouraged me after doing a good job and he always did one more rep than he should, which served as an inspiration for me to work harder. We both knew what the plan was for after the gym, because there is only one acceptable post-gym supplement: a 40oz Hulk. I knew that this would put Charles to the test, but I had faith in him. The smoothie man totaled my one smoothie to eight dollars so I began counting. As I was counting, the cashier- unlike the woman at Wendy’s- appreciated the change and stated "“actually, we prefer change.”"

Before this guy leaves Louisville for good, Charles will continue to take restaurants by storm. Beware to anyone going to a sit-down restaurant with me; you might have to make it a table for three.