No, I went to a very large, private, research-and-grad-student-oriented university as an UG. While I made friends, most of us were rather busy with studies. The few "core group" from the first year I kind of "grew up with," well, we keep in touch as much as desired.
TNP did quite a bit of "partying" (define it however you like) during the first year of college.
No. I drank quite a bit in college, but not daily. Not enough to affect my studies, but probably enough to cause some amount of irreversible brain damage. Weed, hallucinogens, and cocaine probably contributed their share to brain damage as well. It was not a "party school," by any means, but it was in a "party city."
TNP is amazed at just how much one can drink on a daily basis and still be "functional" (go to work, drive a car safely, not get hangovers, maintain good hygiene, pay bills on time, have coherent RL conversations, etc.).
Last edited by Jizzelbin; 09 Nov 2018 at 08:14 AM.
Yeah, I guess. Just based on the number of highly successful people who crash from their alcoholism after years of getting by, not personal experience.
TNP has more than three bottles of top shelf liquor at home.
No, not personally. I'm the most knowledgeable person I know about wines, but most of that is from a combination of a bartending school certification about wines, just hanging around places where various wines are served, and knowing enough about home wine-making to be dangerous (probably to myself and others). Actually, I take that back: I went to high-school with a daughter of one of the guys involved in the famous "Franco-American" wine taste-testing from...I forgot what year, but the really famous one that upset the French very much — I got to see some of his distilling equipment for brandy-making, but although he's not a friend, and he might be dead for all I know, I'm pretty sure he knew a shitload about vintnering.
TNP will be very happy to not be in a private car with young children in the near future.
TNP has a powerful hunger for about ten chicken wings fried in the traditional "Buffalo" style, with all the trimmings, and none of the shame of people staring as each wing is consumed. In fact, for bonus points, TNP might go out tomorrow and eat those very wings at a local bar, just for bragging rights that he or she ate them greedily while looking the appealing bartender directly in the eyes the entire time.
Last edited by Jizzelbin; 10 Nov 2018 at 02:15 AM.
Yeah, I remember seeing it, and having a few laughs.
TNP has seen a bunch of stuff mainly under that mild form of duress sometimes called "peer pressure." But doesn't regret any of it in any conscious sense.
Oh. That was a strange erasure. I think I said something like there are hot dogs and then there are hot dogs, same with burgers, but true, I'd go for ground beef, even just on a plate, cooked medium rare. With the bun/roll, it's easier to get more onions and ketchup in every bite as well, so, definitely true.
TNP is moderately proud of having recently given some navigational directions to a Spanish-only speaker, with a mixture of pidgin English, pidgin Spanish, and whatever words seemed close enough. And that's not personal pride, just a good example of people with good intentions making the best of limited verbal communication.
Alternate TNP: one use for ketchup. Is burgers. Agrees, TNP.
Last edited by Jizzelbin; 13 Nov 2018 at 06:26 AM.
TNP can probably count in a reasonable amount of time (say, in album-quantity under a thousand, or even a hundred) the albums he or she has heard three or more tracks from. ETA Yes, album, fine. CD. 8-track. Pre-recorded 1/4" open-reel tape. You know damned well what I mean.
Last edited by Jizzelbin; 13 Nov 2018 at 02:28 PM.
Yeah, I still have quite a few VHS tapes, although I gave my VCR to my uncle at least a few years ago. It was a great format for recording things off TV or copying (ahem..."borrowing"?) stuff from the library when I was a kid (preteen/young teenager). Supposedly the tape itself can be used to make cheap audio recordings to get some of that classic "analog tape sound" on the cheap, but I've never tried that.
TNP feels a little guilty when playing hooky/calling in sick to work, but does it anyway when the stars aren't in the right alignment/having the monthlies/just plain sick of the grind and wants a little break.
Hahaha. Yes, that'd be a true. It wasn't a "big job" — bussing tables at a restaurant — but, still, it was a responsibility and people there were kind to me, so it's not something I'm proud of. Possibly a work-study job at the library (acquisitions department) as an UG, but that was before summer and I was graduating that year — I think the manager of Acquisitions just felt a little hurt I didn't let her know my whole life plans, so, I don't feel so bad about that.
TNP has been fired from one or more jobs. And lived to tell the tale!
If it's a decent piano trio playing Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here" with plenty of improvisation, then I love it. If it's not (I suspect it's not), then I'm afraid I can't risk my streak this year of not hearing a single Christmas tune (so far).
TNP thinks the trend of people streaming audio from their phones instead of using the radio, combined with a slight cultural edge given to secular music played in public, might mean fewer Christmas songs played in public this year and the following years.
No, I was not at all confident. But since some dickweed at work played some Xmas music over streaming on the PA, my cherry was busted, so I listened anyway. I respect the musicianship of the performers, but it's just not for me, that tune/arrangement.
TNP can give a good excuse why he or she never "kept up with" playing such-or-such instrument — lots of people say that, but I can never figure out exactly their reasons.
I played the alto saxophone in junior high and enjoyed it, but never really had the chance to play in high school, and then was drawn away by other interests.
False. I don't think that's a lame excuse at all — it's not even an excuse, really. Just didn't ring enough bells for you. FWIW, I was super into alto sax as a grade schooler, transposed tunes to Eb, did some stuff with a piano student friend of mine, but I had no idea who Bird or Ray Charles (decent alto sax player!) was, so I stuck around with junkyard whorehouse piano because I knew what that was. Not to mention keeping the embouchure right for endurance was more work than I wanted to do, physically — I'd get frustrated after laying off for a week and not being able to come back to it without my facial muscles giving out. A teacher would have helped, but it was a hick town and it was just kind of something a lot of kids did, take up an instrument to do some Mickey Mouse "orchestra" thing, like a group music class.
TNP could not see taking up a wind or brass instrument again — all the stuff about reeds and mouthpieces is pretty messy and complicated, compared to a guitar/bass or a keyboard — but still wouldn't mind picking up a fiddle and doing some old-school bluegrass or Western Swing just by ear.
Last edited by Jizzelbin; 19 Nov 2018 at 09:08 PM.
Heh, not really. I've visited the state several times, though, and recommend it - especially in the spring, with its warm, dry days and cool, beautiful star-filled nights. The Grand Canyon really has to be seen to be believed - pictures just don't do it justice.
Yeah, that flag is pretty boss. IIRC most state flags are pretty boring, but that one looks like a beatnik on bennies and tea had an inspiration. Looks good.
TNP hasn't seen or met a beatnik survivor from the old days in probably twenty years.
Yeah I know and have known lots of old hippies — not many naked, live on a commune, and eat cow patties while contracting various diseases, AFAIK, but people who strongly identified with the counterculture of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
TNP can somewhat identify with Kerouac's turn to cultural conservatism in his private life, as the bebop age came to an end and the hippie experiments supplanted the more serious artistic contributions of J.K.'s generation.