me and my hoagie

I just finished eating my third Lee's hoagie... Yes, I brought enough hoagies back from Philadelphia with me to last for a few meals... it was the only reason I bothered to bring a cooler. My roommates and friends look temporarily perplexed by the usage of this word, "hoagie," being accustomed only to words like "sub" or "sandwich." But "hoagie" denotes a type of sandwich completely different from a sub... most of the reason I think derives from the type of bread that is used in a hoagie - it's thick, slightly crusty on the outside, and it is open at the top so the shape is that of a U. All the goods get stuffed inside. If you ask me, subs can't hold a candle to a hoagie. Hoagies are, by their very nature, intrinsically superior. :) Reason #28 why I miss the northeast.

Back to the usual at work is not very exciting. But the trip? Pretty fantastic. I ran into what felt like a gazillion Johnnie alums. Probably because there were a few unexpected catch ups - like with Robert Abbott, Sarah Stickney, and Katie Roach - in addition to those I knew I'd be seeing - Rhiannon, Stuart, Rhonda, Lisa, Johanna, Laura, et al. Abbott was hilarious: he was full kilter the whole time, the enthusiasm over seeing everyone bubbling over like the champagne that he must have consumed. ;) It was really great. I also managed to see Kasimir when I trekked up to Baltimore, in addition to a few pals from high school, like Kelly, Jim, and Robert. The reunions never seemed to end, and I was glad for it. I even managed to squeeze a swing dance in at the waltz party the night before graduation, thanks to David Ferrell, and yet, somehow managed to fall down in the middle of the floor... I can thank my flip flops for that one. *sigh* My return to SJC was less than glorious.

I covered my bases pretty well as I had hoped while in the northeast: City Dock coffee, Trader Joe's, Lee's Hoagie House, Einstein's bagels, Aromi d'Italia gelato, the SJC bookstore, the SJC darkroom, 49 West, Ram's Head, sailing,... I also got to have coffee with Mr. Braithwaite (my former essay advisor) and had lunch with Mr. Pickens (the athletic director/crew coach at SJC).

The lowlight of the trip was its brevity and the 9 hours of Stephen King I listened to in the long lonely drives... not to mention, the $18 in tolls I had to pay just to go to Philadelphia and then leave! Sheesh.

As I looked on at my friends graduating this year, 2 years my junior, I remembered how it seemed that I was in their shoes just yesterday... and yet, I was clearly the observer, looking in from the outside. I also clearly knew that I was, in a way, glad not to be in their shoes any more... glad to have a better footing about the future and not floundering in society and dealing with how to live and get by and what to do with my life for the duration of the immediate future or long term... As it stands, I still haven't a clue about the long term anyway.

(my co-workers are joking about calling each other their "sweet little pita".... which is really just an acronym for "pain in the ass"... ahh, corporate America... standing around one another's cube and swapping jokes... back to it I suppose...)