Active Sunday (For A Change)

Most Sundays are spent in recovery. Not that I drink or do much that needs to be recovered from, but until this weekend I was busy every weekend this summer. Sundays were either spent lounging after a friend left from visiting all weekend or driving back from New York, or something else uneventful. It makes sense, then, that my first slow/low key weekend would find me busy on Sunday.

I have been reading a decent amount this past week. I have read the first five volumes of Scott Pilgrim as well as 2.5 more volumes of The Walking Dead. If you are not a comic book person then you might scoff at this being listed as an accomplishment. To me, however, this is a step in the right direction. I have somewhere between 75-90 minutes on my round trip train ride every day where I am able to be productive. Over the past 6 years of my life I have worked 9-5 jobs that I had to drive to. By the time I get home I don't feel like reading either. This time around, though, I am trying to use this time. I am both able to be in transit and do something else. For a few weeks I would read the paper, do a crossword, fall asleep, etc. Those weeks I found myself very tired getting into work. I started watching movies to keep myself more mentally engaged.

With the stack of Scott Pilgrim novels in my possession I decided I would give reading a go. I have a hard time staying awake on the train while reading, but I thought that since comics have images to them and have a faster pace I might be able to get into the routine of reading during these trips. After 5 days I knocked out all five volumes. I then used my low key weekend to plow through the rest of Vol. 2 and then Vol. 3 & 4 of the Walking Dead.

Today I woke up and quickly finished Volume 4 of the Walking Dead. I then drove to Delaware to pick up the next volume. I returned home and watched the Phillies game until it's rain delay. Then I drove to a my friend Alex's house and together we jouneyed into the city to Dave & Busters for a free Penrose show. Our parking voucher gave us 5 dollars off of food, and checking into using the app FourSquare we each got free $5 game cards. So I proceeded to eat, watch the remained of the Phils at the bar, kill some zombies, and then watch Penrose while sitting on the water with a great view of the Ben Franklin bridge over my shoulder.

For what is typically a day spent on the couch, I really enjoy this Sunday. I am also looking forward to this week for no other reason that for what I am going to read. After picking up the next volume in the Dead series, I also borrowed the latest Scott Pilgrim and the novel World War Z from Alex. Can't wait to get started on them.

Accidental Theft

About six months ago I put an application on my iPhone called 'FourSquare'. The program is a restaurant application that allows you to 'check in' at the restaurant you are at. Checking in rewards you points that award you badges. The program allows you to become 'the mayor' of places that participate by being a regular there. Mayor status affords you small perks like your first drink is on the house. The program also alerts you of nearby specials that might be honored by particpating restaurants or creating a 'to do list' of places you would like to visit.

If you find yourself at a place that is not registered you can add the place into the program. Doing so requires the address of the restaurant so that it can be located via GPS as thats how lists of nearby restaurants relative to you are generated.

The place I went to for breakfast this morning was called the Country Deli. On my way out, after realizing that it was not listed in the program, I grabbed a business card so that on my way home (I was not driving) I could add the place before I forgot to check in there. I do so, and am instantly awarded 11 points for this being my first check in and for adding the restaurant to the program. Later tonight I pick up a gas card which turns out to take 10 cents off every gallon up to 20 gallons per pump at Sunocos (side note - pretty cool card).

About 10 minutes later I see the card face down in another room. Pretty cool - we must have two. Picking it up, I realize that the back looks different and flip it over to find the Country Deli card from earlier. I am about to hand it to my dad thinking - this is a pretty cool business card - very study, like -- oh. I then read it a bit closer than the address line and realize it says, quite plainly, Gift Card. Woops.

Now I am pretty sure these cards are all empty and only have value/become activated when you purchase them. This being a small almost mom and pop breakfast store - who knows - maybe they come preloaded. Either way, apparently I swiped a gift card and had no clue.

I know, I know. I am as smooth as Neil Cafferty. Maybe even more so as I even fooled myself.