Thursday, September 13, 2007

Hey!

How about some posts from the College Kids? How are things going out there in the world of Higher Education??

18 comments:

Unknown said...

Welp. I'm not a college kid right now, but I'll let you guys know how I'm doing, whether you want to know or not! I'm working two jobs right now, and I just successfully hit 0 net worth, as I mailed the last of my credit card payments last week. I work at a cigar bar called Mahogany On Walnut, which is an upscale whiskey bar that allows smoking and has an excellent selection of cigars and drinks, as well as comfortable chairs and couch settings. I work the back of the house, so that means I do all the bar backing, cooking, cleaning, inventory, and some serving if it's busy.

I also work at Williams-Sonoma, and I just took advantage of my 40% discount there by getting my parents both a 12" and an 8" frying pan. It's an almost reasonable price when it's half off.

While my true love is jazz (Don't tell Laura!), I've been getting some information on culinary schools in Philly. I've really found something I like with cooking, so we'll see how that works out. It sure is rewarding to do something where you can see the final product, even if it tastes bad.

The reason I'm posting this so early in the morning is because I just got home from Mahogany about an hour ago. I should go to bed now, because I have to be back there at 11 today.

Hope things are great back in Murphyland.

Dad said...

You rock, Jason!

You write cogently, you can spell, and you can form a paragraph. On top of that, you're industrious and motivated. And you can cook!

Not bad!

Mom said...

Awesome, Jason.

Let me be clear that by College Kids I did not mean, necessarily, college kids. Let's just call you the Next Generation: from James and Mary Alyce on down, any of you younger persons who read the blog could chime in if you felt so moved. I just like to know what you're up to.

Anonymous said...

I'm up to no good.

Laura said...

Dad, what were you doing up at three am??

I wish I had something interesting to say.

Oh, I do! I'm going to Europe. After graduation, Kaitlyn, Keira, Kendra (seriously, why is my name not Kaura?) are going to fly to Dublin and bash around for a few weeks. This way I can push back deciding what I want to do with my life. Graduation is on the horizon, and I have no plans. Or any clue about plans I want to make. I think I am having a quarter life crisis.

Lucy said...

In relation to Laura's post, I had a freak out in my car an hour or so ago about what I should do after college.

I was thinking of applying to the Masters in Teaching program at Colgate, but then realized that would mean me taking the GRE this year, and that seems pretty impossible.

Basically all I do all day every day is go to class and sit in the library doing work. Because of leaving part way through last semester, my work each week consists of reading one Shakespeare play, one Toni Morrison novel, four to five short stories, casebooks on short story authors, and on average 100 pages of critical theory on prejudice. FUN!

I'm also getting to work on my senior thesis, which is about children's books that appeal to adults through metaphor in politics, society, and religion. On a side note, Cassie, is there any chance we could get together the next time I'm home and talk some about this?

So yeah, that's what I'm doing. This is really long. Sorry about that.

Dad said...

Lucy, freaking out about what to do after college is not allowed. Besides, no matter what you do, you'll look back in 30 years and say, "What did I do THAT for?" Do something fun.

And Cassie would be happy to talk some with you about that. Her husband says so.

Mom said...

Freaking out about what to do after college is inevitable. As is a quarter-life crisis. But whatever you do, you'll do something else the year after that, and something else again a few years after THAT, and etcetera, etcetera, so it does all work out quite well in the long run.

Lucy, I'm looking forward to talking children's books with you next time you're home. Just let me know when. And if there are any particular books you want me to think about (or think of!) let me know about that, too.

Lucy said...

I'm doing The Little Prince, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Giver and the Harry Potter books. But I just wanted to talk to you about children's books in general, or in specific, whichever you prefer.

I should be home in early October, I'm just not sure when yet. I will let you know!

Caleb said...

I am:
-Very anxious about the Red Sox.

-Enjoying football season more than I thought I would.

-Almost completely off coffee and loving it.

-Discovering that, like Mom, I am allergic to alpaca fur.

-Memorizing dozens of parasite names and life-cycles.

-Finally using my undergraduate education, in Microbiology, where I've learned nothing new.

-Taking surgery classes with a certain vet who recently worked on a certain famous Kentucky Derby winner, none of whom I will name because I fear the wrath of Google.

-Discovering that this certain vet is very intimidating, and he recently sarcastically referred to me as "the bright kid in the back" when he asked the class "What were the major events in the history of surgery?" and I answered "Aseptic technique." What I (swear I) hadn't realized was that "Aseptic technique" was the name and subject of the lecture.

-Still outfitting our apartment, which seems to be a never-ending process.

-Getting a root canal on Thursday.

Dad said...

Cool. Ya sure he meant you?

Seriously, when I was a kid, I was so bright my mother called me "Sonny". You probably never heard that before.

Well, you might be young and having incredible life-changing experiences and studying with that vet, ol' whatsisname, but I have a new John Deere tractor. My first. And now I can see why some people only buy John Deere.

Life is good, ain't it?

Dad said...

Forgot to say:

I am anxious about the Red Flops, Too. Am also pissed. Got so sick of Jerry Remy's "promos" last night that I turned it off. But the MFYs are formidable, and they are so because of the young talent they've brought up. Meanwhile, we trade our young talent for over-the-hill players who will be gone at the end of the season. Well, we trade some of it, anyway. But we've become the Yankees, overbidding for Dice-K and trading away young left-handed starting pitchers and potential star OFs. I'm not sure I can take it anymore.

and on top of that, I didn't win pick 'em this week.

Anonymous said...

I'm impressed -- bright kid in the back at Penn Vet School -- I am very impressed. But not surprised.

Tom, your paragraph about your baseball team sounds like what I was saying about mine a year ago -- and when they brought back Clemens this year -- old talent, where are the young guys?!? Right now I am wondering why we didn't get to Scranton this year to see the talent.

Mary Alyce was at last night's Yankee game celebrating her 23rd birthday.

Jason, is Mahogany on Walnut actually on Walnut St? And why do I think I have spent time on Walnut St -- is that where U Penn Hospital is? Had emergency surgery there in 1971. Or maybe the friend I was visiting when I needed the aforementioned surgery lived on Walnut. Don't think you can go wrong in the feeding people business . . .

Unknown said...

Mahogany on Walnut is on Walnut St. between 15th and 16th, right near Rittenhouse Square. Walnut is a pretty busy street during the day, and there are a lot of expensive stores that line it. The business at Mahog's is definitely starting to pick up, which is why I'm posting so late at night again.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the UPenn hospital is on Spruce and 36th or 38th, which is right near where Caleb lives, over in West Philly. There are tons of hospitals in Philly, and I think the closest one to Rittenhouse Square is Thomas Jefferson University Hospital on Chestnut and 10th or 11th.

I'm taking a train early friday morning to see Laura for the weekend, and I'm glad both my employers understand the whole long-distance relationship thing, and are willing to work with me to take time off.

I made chicken marsala earlier this evening for my family before I went to work, and it turned out great without really measuring anything. Oh, and balsamic vinegar tastes as good as, or better, than marsala wine, I think. If you cook it down on really low heat for a little while it gets a little syrupy and sweet, which really brightens up the mushrooms. Plus I'm 20 and can't legally purchase a bottle of wine, so..

If you guys have any cool recipes you'd like to share with me, let me know. I'm really getting into this cooking thing.

Anonymous said...

Well, I've been working in the world of lower education this summer, as I have taught my company's three-day developer class in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. Teaching the class is a lot of fun because (a) I get to listen to the sound of my own voice all day long (b) someone else wrote the lesson plans and slides and (c) the students have low expectations for the class that I can almost meet. Seriously, though, it's been great getting to meet various customers and showing them the neat stuff they can do with our software.

I've mostly been working on projects from home, which is a nice change of pace from the constant travel of my old job. I did have a couple of trips to the west coast for work earlier in the summer, but one of those was a conference that involved never leaving the airport hotel and the other was "boot camp", wherein we spent all our time writing code.

Mary Alyce and I had an excellent Indian dinner when I was in NY a couple of weeks ago. Okay, it didn't compare to the famed Indian restaurants of Smyrna, but it was still pretty good.

Otherwise, I've been watching a lot of Sox games. I have installed chicken wire in front of my TV for the inevitable point when yet another "Sox Appeal" promo sends me into a rage and I start throwing things. If NESN is trying to convince Boston-area baseball fans to sign up for Extra Innings next year...it's working.

(Reason I didn't sign up this year: I'm convinced that I would get assigned to a 100% travel project for the rest of the season within a week of making that decision.)

Dad said...

Jason,

Chicks dig men who cook.

James,

Remember, even if you get Extra Innings, being in the Red Sox market, you'll have to listen to incessant promos when they play the Yankees, home or away. Yes will be blacked out.

Anonymous said...

Yup, we had a free preview of Extra Innings mid-season this year after my cable company made a sudden deal to carry it, so I've experienced the highs and lows. I think the chicken wire would hold up for just the Sox/Yanks games.

Mom said...

James, you are a kindred spirit to
Tom when it comes to NESN promos (who knew??!) He has been fulminating about them all summer, and the intensity's been rising lately. Chicken wire, eh? I'll have to get us some.