A monkey and his key-bored

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Good ol' ISU fun...

So yesterday I introduced my fellow postdoc fellows to the lovely life experience that is, being an Iowa State fan. We made lots of food, drank adult beverages, and lamented getting our clocks cleaned by the Hawkeyes. Luckily, we didn't go any place where we had to interact with Hawk fans. Here is a video of all of us before we realized how bad of a beating ISU was going to get laid on them:

I made a nacho bar and fried pickles (frickles...), Amanda made a salted nut roll and pretzel-strawberry stuff (Amand's food was outstanding, I am probably going to her apartment today to steal leftovers). After the game was over we played board games which were actually very fun (despite my well documented hate of board games). However, I ate and drank a good amount and this picture of Gus-Gus this morning gives good insight into how I feel today:

How I feel today.

Have a great Sunday!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Shocking Revalation!

So it happened. I ate at my first crappy restaurant in Denver, Good Times Burgers . It all started when a co-worker (Megan) and I decided to get lunch on Friday. Neither of us are extremely assertive so we wondered down the 16th street pedmall until we saw a restaurant proclaiming "Good times, Great Burgers, & Frozen Custard." We were sold.

Upon entering the establishment we noticed that it was a little dirty and a little chaotic. Undeterred, we bellied up to the counter to order our food. There menu was a bit limited, they had a few different hamburgers, a chicken sandwich, and that was it for burgers/sandwiches (no fish sandwich, etc.). They also stated their french fries (cut fresh everyday) were the best in town. I was getting the sense that this place was like a smaller scale Culver's. Especially when I noticed they had a whole side of their menu devoted to frozen custard creations.

Well Megan decided she would order a Bacon burger meal (she would later regret this). I decided to go with a healthy option and get the "Wild Fries" and "Spoon Bender" custard with Peanut Butter Cups . They give you a number and tell you to find a seat. The place was crowded (it was lunch so I will not begrudge them this), the tables were dirty, and there was a lot of stuff on the floor. The drink/condiment island was messy and covered in ketchup.

After waiting a few minutes our food arrived....it was less than appetizing. Megan's bacon cheese burger had some suspectly cooked bacon (it was still pretty flimsy and undercooked). In addition, her tomatoes and lettuce looked a bit past prime. She also reported that her hamburger "wasn't great", she ate about a 3/4 of it. She did eat all her fries though.

My wild fries (they are wild because they put spicy seasoning on them) were good though not remarkable. I understand that I was at a fast food joint, but if the fries are supposed to be the best in town then they should at least be in the top 100 for the town. My spoon bender was partially melted and the custard was not anywhere near as good as Culver's. So, not great.

In conclusion, if you are drunk, younger than 18, or someone who really likes greasy undercooked food, take a trip to GTB . If you are anyone else go to B-bops or Culver's.

Bill

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Just Eat-it....

So to those of you who have not heard, I successfully passed my dissertation defense (I will give you a minute to email a congratulations to me...p.s. your 3 weeks late). Shortly there after, I gathered my worldly belongings and shipped off to Denver to begin a postdoc. Below are videos of the apartment I am staying in (it has been pretty great so far).

As for my postdoc, it is going well. I am still in the beginning phases of deciding what I will focus on for the year. It will be something with social-emotional development/challenging behaviors, policy, and technology. I am actually in the process of writing an individual plan for the ten months I am here. I will post more when I have a better idea of what I am doing.

However, what I have really been enjoying since moving to Denver is the immense variety of food I have been able to eat. Below is a list of all the places I have eaten and my preliminary feelings about them...I think it is safe to say I am not in Iowa anymore:

Ling & Louie's: L&L's is an Asian/Thai restaurant that may or may not be a chain (it's not in Iowa so it is new to me). They have a cheep lunch menu, a great spicy tuna bowl, some different types of tuna, and what Amanda has deemed "the best Pad Thai she has ever had." I have eaten here several times since I moved to Denver and have enjoyed it every time. Also vegetarian options.

The Mellow Mushroom: The mellow mushroom is a pizza/hoagie shop. The place is crawling with hippy workers. Lots of hemp, dreads, and a general love of Fish, Grateful Dead, and any other band that will play a live show that includes a 35 minute "jam" session of their songs. The food however is great. A whole bunch of vegetarian (pizza and hoagies) chocies. The staff is exceptionally nice (one of the more redeemable hippy traits) and have been more than willing to discuss menu options at will. Also, they sell pizza by the slice at lunch and have multiple sizes for all of their items.

Lime: I have only eaten at the The Lime once (this afternoon actually) and only had their happy hour tacos. I must say, at one dollar a pop the price is right. They also tasted outstanding. I perused the menu and saw they had the standard Mexican fair (e.g., fajitas, huevos rancheros), but they also had some interesting food (e.g., ahi tuna tacos). Sari got a margarita ($3 for a 12oz) and enjoyed it so much she tried to convince us all to stay so she could drink more. But alas, we are nerdy postdocs and had to return to our cubicles. They also served what I described as elephant ears without the dough (in place of tortilla chips), they were great and filling. All and all Lime was a success. I will be returning for more $1 dollar tacos and will be partaking in the happy hour drink deals. I suggest you do too.

Appaloosa Grill: After a disappointing outing at Taste of Colorado (too many people, too expensive) my fellow postdocs and our significant others sauntered down the 16th street ped-mall to find something to eat. We spotted this little joint and decided it was interesting enough to give it a shot. We all ordered off the "Happy Hour" menu because we are cheap and it looked good. The food at The App. (this is what I am calling it for now on) is definitely eclectic. Megan and Doc got a Dragon Chicken Skewer, Amanda and Sari got the Hippie Sliders, and Elaine got the Humus. They also had Truffle Fries, Edamame and Salmon Creek Pork Sliders. Everything tasted good and came out pretty fast. The have a decent selection of local beers on tap, as well as wine, sangria (Elaine had some and liked it) and spirits. All and all this place was a good find, the dinner menu seemed pricey, but for happy hour it hit the spot.

Enzo's End Pizzeria: Elaine's favorite type of pizza is thin crust pizza, so I always try to find a place that serves good thin crust when we take a vacation or go on a trip. When flipping through my yellow pages I found Enzo's End advertisement the boasted, "The best thin crust in town." So, Elaine and I decided to take a trip down colfax to try it out. We were not disappointed. They have a great selection of specialty pizza's as well as 33 separate toppings that you can use to build your own pizza. There sauce is home made and pretty incredible. Also, I must say, their thin crusts rivals Imo's of St. Louis (Elaine's favorite). Another cool little caveat of Enzo's is that they are connected to a place called, "P.S. Lounge". Essentially P.S. is a bar that serves alcohol to Enzo's clientele. Elaine and I decided we needed a drink so we went to the bar to order our drinks. P.S.'s is dark, musty, and inhibited by old men (the only way a "bar/lounge" should be). The bartender served us up are drinks while also serving up cheerful banter (just like a bartender should). Then he gave Elaine and I both a free shots and Elaine a rose (I appreciate him taking care of the romantic gestures I forgot to). Finally, the staff at Enzo's was friendly and helpful. My only complaint is that I am out of their delivery range. Enzo's is a must for anyone wanting to tryout a local business in Denver.

So far everywhere I have eaten has been great. I think Enzo's has been my favorite (just a great combination of ambiance, food, and fun). I will report more after I eat more places. Also, if you have any suggestions of places I should eat in Denver (Greg no need to suggest "Rio" it is on my lists) please comment below.

Bill...out.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Apartment Happenings

My apartment:

Hallway and Potty:

More potty and Rockie's stadium:

Dog park:

Large court yard:

My courtyard:

Movie theatre:

Fitness center:

Parking garage and skyline:

Parking garage and skyline 2:

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

One of my favorite videos:

As some of you know I taught a class on dating and relationships at one of the universities I worked for. It is a fun class to teach to college students because their ideas on what goes into making a relationship work are extremely varied. Some students believe that love happens, you meet 'the one", and you live happily ever after (with very little disagreements throughout your relationship with that partner). Others (and this stance is supported by research), hold the view that relationships are built and not so much the product of an internal burning love, but the sum of a lot of work, mutual respect, and a willingness to work through issues (students ranged the spectrum of beliefs between those two stances). I always like showing this video on one of the first day of class for two reasons 1). it addresses a lot of taboo topics (i.e., having a baby to get attention from friends and family) that made my freshmen students think I was a little off, 2). it always got students talking about what valid points the video made and what points were a little absurd (never an easy task to get students to talk). I always enjoyed hearing their opinions (no matter how much I agreed with them or did not agree with them). I will admit that the video really is absurd and I doubt there are many people out there that think exactly like the girl in the video does. However, I think some of the underlying themes ring a tone with 20-30 somethings. Elaine and I have often discussed that it seems like people graduate from college and decide that the next person they date they will marry (as if they only have until they are 23 to get married and then they will a life of celibacy until they die). So in-conclusion, I will make two points. 1) Yes, I love to hear myself talk! 2). Watch the video, enjoy it, and feel free to post what you agree with and don't (I am moving and no longer will be teaching that class so I have to have some sort of outlet).