Greater Satellites

So I played hookie from work on Friday.  More specifically I went in around 10am, stayed until noon when I decided to switch from Citizens Bank to Commerce Bank, then left to take a glorious day trip down the shore with my lady.  We went down to Wildwood at first and braved a bit of rain to in order to take a few pictures, eat some funnel cake, play some ski ball, and briefly walk the boards.  On our way back to the car, we both got our palms read and discovered a lots of interesting things we kind of already knew about ourselves, but were amazing to hear from a complete stranger.  I recommend getting it done at least once, if your funds allow it.

After that got old, we decided to take a trip to the neighboring Atlantic City to gamble and find a place to stay overnight.  We ended up at the Atlantic Palace by chance and got a room with a great ocean view.  We walked the boards a bit more, hit Ballys for a bit of gambling fun, and then back to the room after a junky dinner.  Relaxation in the hot tub and a little Conan O’Brien ensued.

The next day was all gravy: Lots of sleep and eventually going out to see the incredibly awesome Wall-E.  It stands on it’s own among the Pixar films, only bested (in my opinion) by Toy Story.  Highly recommended.  Now all we have left to see is The Incredible Hulk, Indy 4, and Wanted.

Yesterday was a great day of sleep, a family barbecue over Jackie’s pad with lots of delicious foods, and more relaxation.  I really love the time I spend with my girl.

This life blog brought to you by Andrew, writing to preserve the memories of yesterday.

I had a tremendous time last night and I chalk it up entirely to the fun folks I went out with. I was a little late getting to Jackie’s house (thanks a lot 66 Bus Driver… douche), so we departed slightly later than expected but the ride down was half the fun. We talked about, well, a plethora of different topics. I’ve never had an awkward silence moment with her, so I wasn’t worried about the “ride there conversations”. After about an hour on the road, we arrived at our target destination: The Borgata. I’d say 80% of the people who we were meeting up with were already there; that list included Jon, Rob, Bessy, Sylvia, and Paul with Kathy and Rich trailing behind us by about an hour. We arrived, met up with everyone, and started getting to work on those dastardly slot machines. Where else but a casino could you spend $40 in nickels in less than 15 minutes?

There was a running bet (there’s irony in that statement, just wait for it) between Jon and Bessy that was established earlier this week. If Bessy, whos religion (Jehovah’s Witness) states that gambling is forbidden, gambled just once than Jon said he would drink… for the first time ever. Two big compromises just to see the outcomes, fun stuff. Turns out that Jon and Rob found her a slot machine that had pigs on it (her favorite animal, by the by) and she went for it. Religious rules are really just “guidelines” anyway, God always forgives if I’m not mistaken.

So we were all hanging out for a while, randomly playing slots, having a few drinks. All in all a great time. We broke off into smaller groups now and then and reassembled at key points during the night, much like lions of the Voltron. Jon, Rob, and Bessy departed soonly after midnight to look for a beer distributor and a motel to crash at. Unfortunately they couldn’t find anything in a reasonable price range that provided enough beds for everyone to sleep on, so they started trucking back to Philly. Sylvia and Paul rolled out around 1AM, and then Jackie and I left soon after. The ride home was pleasant and we said our goodbye as she dropped me off at the humble Gormley abode. This was actually her first time in my ‘hood, and she did well with the directions I gave her. Woot!

Moments after I arrived I spoke with Jon on a the phone telling me that they were over Rob’s house with some alcohols and ready to make good on his part of the deal. Unfortuantely, I was feeling a little tired and didn’t want to burden anyone for a ride to and fro, but I heard through the grapevine that Jon did in fact drink (though how much I’m uncertain). Go Jon you soon to be party animal! I ended up watching one of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies on HBO until I feel asleep. Great stuff. I had a blast everyone, thanks for the wonderful time. We’ll stay over next time and have breakfast on the strip.