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Panera is like Crack!

June 26th, 2009

Panera Bread

Well, I think the title says it all.  But if you really need a full blog post about it…here it goes.

Up until a year ago I didn’t know what Panera was.  I thought they made bread.  I mean, that’s what the sign says, Panera Bread.  It wasn’t until I asked a co worker what to get for lunch one day that they suggested Panera.  I was like, “Don’t the just make bread?”  They laughed at me.  Apparently, I didn’t know.  So they told me to go and check it out.

Panera CounterNow, thing about me is, I get intimidated by new places.  I don’t know why, I just get all nervous and flustered and don’t know what to do.  So I walk into Panera, and Whoa…the place is big.  There’s baked goods over here, sandwiches over there…and lots of counter space.  I had NO idea where to order!!  After a few minutes of standing there like an idiot, I got flustered and walked out.  So much for having Panera for lunch.  I didn’t go back for weeks.

Then two of my friends came over, and they showed me the way.  Well, really, just one of them, because my other friend is just as anti-new places as I am.  So we go to a different Panera…and like an angel from heaven, there’s a sign…Order Here.  I can’t tell you how that made my day.  So we ordered up some food, got it to go.  We got it home, set it up, and BLAM-O!  I was hooked.  I didn’t truly understand life before Panera…but now all the intricacies of the world all became clear to me.  With each bite of my sandwich and delicious Greek salad, I became more self-aware, more aware of the world around me…it was like I was seeing everything in HD for the first time.  It was…bliss.

Panera FrontAnd so, one year later…I find myself craving Panera more often than not.  I don’t know WHAT they put in that food, but man on man is it awesome.  The other day I even parked illegally because the parking lot was full and I needed my Panera!  Don’t try to stop a man from his food…a dangerous thing to do.  My favorite combo is the 1/2 Greek salad with a 1/2 chicken chipotle sandwich….usually with the Baked Lays, sometimes with the apple.  No matter what I get, I always get the Greek salad…I could eat that day in and day out…maybe that’s why I have these blood pressure problems..

So, my suggestion to you…get Panera…get addicted…get ready for a mind-blow experience!

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Posted in Living in NJ

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Call the Landlord!

June 5th, 2009

Back in November I became a first-time home owner.  Thanks to the National Association of REALTORS®,  I bought into the hype that “It’s a Good Time to Buy.”  Sure, it’s only a condo, but it’s all mine and I get to do what I want with it.  Well, to the inside…although, I can’t knock down walls, or my upstairs neighbors might fall through the ceiling.  And I can get new windows…but only a certain type.  But I foiled their rules about outside changes and got myself a doormat.  Yeah!  Take that!

houseinhands

Being a new homeowner means that I’ve had a lot of work to do.  When I moved in, all the walls were one generic color.  The carpet in the bedroom, while newer, was an ugly shade of blue.  There was an accordion door on the closet.  And the light fixtures, well…lets just say I didn’t want my kitchen looking like a high school cafeteria.  And the utility closet…just…nasty.

And so, with the help of a small army of friends, I went to work.  Got new carpet installed.  Removed the accordion door.  Painted every room.  Threw out the nasty stuff in the utility closet.  Put in new shelves in various places. Put up stuff on the walls.  Replaced all the outlets, switches, and light fixtures…well, I didn’t…I actually just watched (thanks Jones)…but I went to home depot to buy the stuff!   Cleaned all over the place. 

What I DO miss about being a renter though is having a landlord.  Toilet not working?  Call the landlord.  Squirrel in the attic?  Call the landlord.  Drippy faucet?  Call the landlord.  The landlord was good for so many things…but guess what?  Now I’m the landlord…I gotta call myself.  It’s kinda like at work when I run into a problem and the solution the help manual give is “Call your Network Administrator”…but that’s me!!!

So now I face the problem of having my entire shower re-tiled and 2 walls replace due to water damage and mold.  One day water just started pouring out of my wall every time I turned the shower on…like a mysterious waterfall.  Turns out the pipe was messed up.  Hey landlord, call a plumber!  Oh wait, that’s me…darn!  And so I must call the plumber, insurance company, must get quotes, must schedule contractors…must do it all.  But hey, that’s what I signed up for.  I’m a “homeowner” now…me and my 1%, the bank and it’s 99%.   I think I should be able to call the bank and have them come do the work…they own most of it anyway.

I wanna hear your homeowner horror stories, and how you made the decision to jump from renter to buyer!  Or are you really a landlord with some great tenant stories? Share below!

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Posted in Life, Living in NJ

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Looking at our “Cake”

April 26th, 2009

If you’re living in the Northeast this weekend you couldn’t help but notice that summer came early. This weekend has been B E A U T I F U L…a little on the hot side but I can deal with that.

This past Saturday you may have seen EJ and myself running a 15K in beautiful Clinton, NJ…I was rockin’ my “Is there any cake left?” performance T (for sale soon – all proceeds going to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!!!) and if you’re here because you saw my attempt at advertising – Welcome and thanks for coming!! Likewise if you saw Lungs running the “Quest for a Cure 5K” in Moutainside, NJ…

During my race I ended up pacing myself for a bit with a nice young woman who made a move to pass me around mile 7 and commented that she was looking at my cake. All I gotta say is HELL YEA THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! We want folks to look at our Cake! Thanks for pushing me, if I weren’t frantically looking for fluids and shade right after finishing I may have chatted more.

And while I’m making shoutouts – I’d like to thank the women of the Clinton Haircutters…Kathy and company do a fantastic job cutting hair, are great for conversation, and have always supported my efforts with the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. I told them that we created isthereanycakeleft.com and they said they’d spread the word. Thank you ladies. I highly recommend stopping by and seeing them if you’re ever in the area.

If you are new here you should know that for every comment you post to any of our blogs we’ll donate $1 to help the fight against blood cancers. It’s the easiest charity work you’ll ever do, and we all appreciate it.

In other news…

This time of year marks the anniversary of tremendous turning point in my life – it was this same 15K last year where I committed to running a marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Societies Team in Training Program, which is where I met my blogmates and the rest is Cake…I didn’t see the Team in Training tent this year at the 15K, probably because they hosted a 5K on Sunday as I mentioned above, but I thank them also for all they’ve helped me do for others and realize about myself. It is because of them and their cause that isthereanycakeleft.com was possible and all of us here are forever grateful.

This blog will have to be continued…I wanted to get a point across but I don’t want to write a book and this is long enough already. Besides, it’s so nice outside – what are you doing on the Internet? Get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Till next time…
Banks

PS – Look to see everyone minus EJ running NJ Marathon next week!

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Posted in Advertising, Charity, Innuendos, Living in NJ, Running

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Two Days in the Raritan Valley…

April 21st, 2009

So…what goes on during your typical day?

Wake up? Yes.

Commute? Yes.

Work?  Yes.

Lunch Break? Yes.

Work some more? Yes.

Go home? Yes.

Here at “Is There Any Cake Left,”  we do our best to improve the quality of our day with insightful conversation that may or may not solve the issues facing (wo)mankind.  It does turn a mundane day into something interesting.  Perhaps one day we’ll discuss global warming, the economic crisis,  war on terror, or other current events that are headlining newspapers.  This day…well…this day wasn’t that day.

Cast:

EJ – Endorphins Junkie.

Banks – Banks.

JCML – Just Call Me Lungs.

RC – Rice Cakes.

__________

Dialog -

EJ:  So ready to go back to sleep!!  Good news is, the week is half over.

RC:…how was dance dance revolution?

EJ:  It was pretty good… we are getting decent… hopefully we don’t embarass ourselves at the wedding.

JCML:  I spent some of the night hugging the toilet bowl and sleeping on the bathroom floor  :-(

RC:  I hope your nickname for (Enter JCML’s Significant Other’s Name Here) is not “toilet bowl.”

JCML:  unfortunately, no

RC:  remnants of costa rica making its debut in New Jersey?

JCML:  perhaps

EJ:  that sucks JMCL!  I hope you feel better…. laying on the bathroom floor is the best when you are sick, the tile always feels nice and cool on your face

RC:  Nothing pepto bismo couldn’t cure.

__________

Banks:  is tnt’s site still down? i have no idea how far i’m supposed to run this weekend…

RC:  I think its 10-12?

EJ: for Long branch? the next few weeks are 12 8 12 7 race  I think…or chop that 12 off if there’s one less week

Banks: whatever i’ll do 10 this week…high bridge anyone?

EJ:  i’m pretty sure i was supposed to do 12 last weekend, which i missed but am not too concerned about since a few weeks back i was supposed to do an 8 but did 12 anyway…

__________

RC:  its annoying to get telemarketing calls at work.  even more annoying when the telemarketer has the wrong number but still insists on talking to you.

JCML:  I keep getting “this is your second notice that the warranty on your car is set to expire…”

Banks:  i still get those notices and my warranty expired years ago.

JCML:  except it’s a work, and I never had a warranty

RC:  I hate my Toyota dealership for selling my information to scammers.

JCML:  They can get the info from DMV.

RC:  True dat…but…the DMV doesn’t know what dealership I go to.  The calls are very specific on my car mileage and dealership here in NJ.  I bought the car in Michigan.

Banks:  maybe Michigan and New Jersey dealships are friends then.

__________

Banks:  After reading EJ’s latest blog, i’m curious to find out who she knows that has ever gotten into someones pants using missleoe….it just seems too easy.

RC: Me.

Banks:  no, seriously.

RC:  Ok.  Not me.

EJ:  well.. its one of those things that some stupid guy would come up with, like maybe if i get to kiss this girl, she will be so into it that she’ll come home with me… one of those stupid things that guys think will get a girl… as in that was his intention in coming up with mistletoe… no one said it would be something that worked.

RC:  Sort of like “Sweetest Day”…which some stupid gal came up with, like maybe if I get another day of gifts it will make me feel better about myself.  One of those stupid things that gals will hold over the head of their man…as in that was her intention in coming up with Sweetest Day.

EJ:  sure…. its like when guys do things like stop short in the car so they can reach their arm across the seat to make sure you are ok… while accidently groping you…. like who came up with this and thought it was a good idea?  the same guy that came up with the mistletoe

RC:  Sure…. its like when gals bitch and moan during their monthly cycles and take it out on their man…. like who came up with this and thought it was a good idea?  Do we actually need a reason to bitch and moan at our man?  I guess having an excuse is better than no excuse at all, either way it won’t stop me from complaining…the same gal that came up with “Sweetest Day.”

EJ:  Although, I will tell you, PMS is real… for some it is worse than others.. the crankiness comes from not feeling well and being easily annoyed…. like when I feel like my uterus is being ripped out, its not in (Enter EJ’s Significant Other’s Name Here) best interest to do things that annoy me…. it brings forth a response like “for the love of god and your own life will you knock that off”

RC:  Oh…I’ve seen the wraith of PMS.  I was  just joking.

EJ:  I know some girls that do use it as an excuse though to just be mean, like even when they aren’t pmsing they are bitchy and then say, oh i am pmsing… the wrath of pms touches everyone

RC:  Ya…it was girls like that who came up with sweetest day.

__________

RC:  Spooooooooooooooooooooooooon!

EJ:  i need to sleep for days… what are your easter plans?  my first EVER 20 miler was on Easter in 2007 down to preview the NJM course…

RC:  I might hide some eggs, wait an hour, and then go look for them…And a 20 miler run too…

EJ:  I want to set up a “beerster” event… basically how this works is I go outside and hide coronitas around the yard… give each person who is a part of the hunt a bucket with some ice in it, and have them go searching…. at the end they get to drink whatever they find…

__________

Banks:  on the missletoe…i’ve seen girls try to kiss guys with it. i’ve also seen girls who otherwise would have no chance with a guy try to get him drunk for some action.  it’s not quite that gender specific.

RC:  I never meet these kind of girls.

Banks:  thats because you don’t drink. you’re better off….

RC:  interesting…thanks.

Banks:  i see it so clearly in my head… some drunk sloppy girl who can barely stand up trying to kiss you under the mistletoe, slurring sweet nothings into your ear.

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Posted in Humor, Life, Living in NJ, Running, Uncategorized, World View

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Judge Ito! Have Some of My Burrito!

March 23rd, 2009

Jury duty.  It’s something most Americans dread yet something we all at some point have to deal with.  It’s the quintessential waste of time in most people’s minds.  You sit in a room with 100 other people for 8 straight hours.  If you’re lucky, your scenery changes when they select you for a panel, where you move to an actual courtroom and stare at a judge for hours on end.  Then, if you’re REALLY lucky, you get placed in the jury box.  Dun dun dun!!!  You’re luck just ran out…you’re on a case which is set to take a week.  That’s multiple days of sitting in a courtroom staring on as the case unfolds before you, all because this guy rear-ended this other guy and the second guy is suing the first guy for damaging his rear.

So a few weeks ago I had my first jury-duty experience.  This was, of course, after I accidentally skipped my original date and got a threatening letter from the courthouse.  Oops…apparently they take this jury duty thing seriously.  So I get to the court house early, waiting outside with some other potential jurors.  Nobody says anything…why is it even though we’re there for the same reason we still stand in silence, afraid to speak to one another.  We’re finally let in, and given this spiel about no bringing weapons into the courthouse…like, seriously, let me go put my boa knife and hand grenade back in the car.  So after going through the metal detectors and getting checked in, we get to watch this fascinating video on the jury process, and why it sets us apart from the rest of the world (besides our obesity, over indulgent attitudes, and our rockin military).  And then we wait.

I had the pleasure of getting placed on a panel.  The judge gives us a lengthy talk about how it’s an honor to be picked, how we’re not jurors but judges, and so on.  And then the process begins.  8 people picked…but who will survive?  Find out next week… Question after question for each person…and then one gets excused, another picked.  And the same questions for them…and they get dismissed…and another…and another.  The same questions over and over for 2.5 hours…apparently the lawyers don’t want to start this case or really have a jury.  

And then I get picked…I sit in the box…I answer their questions…they can’t stump me.  Name?  I know that.  Occupation?  You bet I have one.  Tell us about yourself.  Well, umm…well, what do I say?  I don’t want them to judge me…do I tell them just the basics…I love to run, read, watch movies…or do I tell them more…my favorite romantic comedy is the Notebook and I cry everytime I watch it…I sometimes eat a whole jar of pickles after a long run…I don’t find Steve Carell funny…  I stuck to the basics.  And then, stating that I’d been in a car accident 2 years go, I got side-barred and then DISMISSED.  That was just hurtful.  How dare they dismiss me???  That jury is nothing without me!  And then I realize that I’m free to go, so I do just that…

An interesting experience, but thankfully I’ve been rewarded with at least a 3 year jury duty free vacation.  So if you get jury duty, just remember the easy way out…you think everyone is guilty, and you hate anyone who isn’t you, and the death penalty is the easy way out.

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Posted in Law, Life, Living in NJ

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