Sweet Pickles

This Friday ain't freaky, it's sucky!

Well, I finished class at 3:00pm, but have been trapped in the office by a flash flood.  Surprise, surprise!  (Have I ever mentioned how much it rains up in this biotch?) 

For lunch today, I went over to the cafeteria on campus (where I have a faculty/staff meal plan).  There were hordes of junior high school students (here for a summer basketball camp) trampling through the place.  I could hear the roar before opening the door to the building.  So, I got a to-go box and loaded it up at the salad bar, because I could feel blood vessels in my eyeballs starting to throb.  It was like the 7th level of Hell.  Seriously, as good a deal as the price of the faculty/staff meal plan is, I don't know if I'm going to renew mine.  Half the time I can't even access the damn food because of weird seasonal operating hours or bus-loads of school children. 

My class started off fun.  For pre-reading activities and cultural cues, we watched some stuff on Youtube, including:  The Partridge Family, The Donny and Marie Show, The Brady Bunch, and Madonna videos (the students DJ'ed... I let them choose which videos we should watch).  They were totally getting into it, before the wireless internet in our building stopped working again (unrelated to the later flash flood). Welcome to the Magnolia State!

Tonight, everyone's going to see a local film about some kind of Cajun werewolf that I just can't get horned up about.  I've tried.  I watched the trailer, but it only reinforced my initial reaction ("Uh, no.").  Firsta all, I've never liked monster movies, so I can't imagine a tongue-in-cheek parody of a monster movie really doing it for me.  Seconda all, I just don't like townie stuff.  I wish I did.  I'm sure I'd meet lots of interesting new people if I did.  I know, I know... but I just can't.

Even if there was something fun (i.e., boozy) going on tonight, I still couldn't go because I am so broke.  After not getting a paycheck for the second half of May (the downside of 9-month contracts), my wallet is hurtin'!  This weekend is not off to a very promising start!

"Never on a Sunday, never on a Monday!"

It ain't just Friday... it's Spring Break, bitches!!!  And I don't know what sly-ass MF thought to synch scenes from this particular movie with the world's all-time greatest weekend anthem (and do such a smooth job of it), but I do know it puts Sweet Pickles in the mood to do sexy times all over the city tonight.  If this can't put you in the right frame of mind for the Friday before Spring Break, then you've got the kind of prollems that Sweet Pickles can't help you with...



Up in the morning at six o'clock
Head for the city
Turn on the music, the radio
Nobody's hurrying

Day after day
Slaving away, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Punching the time
I'm late again
Sneak in the back way

I count the hours, minutes too
So glad it's Friday

Jump in my ride
It's Friday night
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Livin' it up, livin' it up
Oh, yeah, Friday night
Livin' it up, livin' it up at last
Living it up, livin' it up
Oh, yeah, Friday night
Livin' it up, livin' it up at last

Only on a Friday
Never on a Sunday
Never on a Monday

Same situation every day
Some kind of voodoo
Same complications
Stand in the way
Nowhere to run to

My mind is dreaming
I'm somewhere else
Can't seem to shake it
I miss the feeling
Having fun
No way to fake it

Jump in my ride
It's Friday night
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Living it up
Living it up, oh, yeah
Living it up
Living it up at last

Living it up
Living it up, oh, yeah
Living it up
Living it up at last

Even in this economy, Friday must go on!

After all, today is still Friday!

Got her!

A fun exchange on facebook yesterday, in which S-Love responds to my status update:

"Sweet Pickles' costume is all black, which is very slimming. I might start wearing it to work everyday."  9:47am

S-Love at 9:58am October 31
Oh don't even start with me. You look slimming in whatever you wear.

Sweet Pickles at 12:36pm October 31
What? I didn't catch that. Could you repeat that?

S-Love at 12:42pm October 31
You said your costume is black, which is slimming, and you might wear it everyday. I've never, ever seen you in anything that wasn't slimming.

Sweet Pickles at 12:44pm October 31
Huh? Do what? I still didn't catch that. One more time, please?

S-Love at 12:46pm October 31
lol You nut.

Debate Night

A few fellow instructors and I will take our ESL students to watch tonight's debate on the bigscreen televisions in the Grove.  We'll picnic on blankets wherever we can find space.  Come by and see us if you're on campus tonight.

I've got plans for pre-Debate cocktails, but not for post-Debate cocktails.  What's going on tonight, locals? 

P.S. - I just saw Andrea Mitchell interviewing Gov. Barbour on TV, and they were broadcasting live from the Grove.  It's a bit surreal.  Even more surreal:  the signs being held up by people in the background crowds, that said "Stop AIDS."  I had no idea anybody on our campus even knew what AIDS was.  Now cirrhosis and gonorrhea, that's a combo our student body can wrap their minds (and legs) around!

Livin' it up, livin' it up, oh yeah... Friday night!

TGIF

After an 8:30am spin class, and 6 hours in the classroom today, Sweet Pickles only has one thing to say for tonight: 

"Hey, Mr. DJ... put a record on.  I wanna dance with my baby!" 

If you're in town tonight, meet me in the middle of the dance floor at the Lyric.  I'll be the good-looking one with two drinks.

TGIF

TGIF

I'm taking new international students to a big catfish dinner in Taylor, so I won't be out socializing until after that... between 8:30pm and 9:00pm (I hope).  At that time, you should have an ice-cold beverage of the alcoholic-but-low-carb variety ready for Sweet Pickles.  If you want to be seen (and envied) hanging out with him, that is.  Otherwise, cold shoulder for you!  Euhhhhh!

P.S. - Does this ecard sound a lot like HYFA (the Hip Young Faculty Association) out at any local bar we go to??

Big Fun

Tonight's Oxford Tasting Society was even more fun than our usual monthly sessions. Today was the last day of classes for the Spring 2008 semester, so everybody was in a festive mood. Plus, the theme was Margaritas & Salsas, which got people really horned up (or was it me doing that?). Most importantly, our hosts were the founders of OTS, who just happen to be two of the most popular kids in town. Their hands are featured in these two photos.

But we weren't limited to the various margaritas and salsas. My fave grad student (a native of Louisiana) was making up some authentic-ass beignets!

And our hosts went all out for the full-meal deal, doing it up Texas-style with the best fajitas I've had in a LONG time! MFs know how to throw a par-tay.

Added benefit of the evening = we saw online a recipe for 'lower-cal' margaritas, which uses one of Sweet Pickles favorite products, Crystal Light! Write this down:

1 tub Crystal Light lemon-lime or lemonade flavored drink mix
2 cups water
Juice of one lime
8 oz. tequila
6 oz. Grand Marnier
4 oz. Presidente Mexican Brandy

Those of you who really know Sweet Pickles will understand why 'lower-cal' margaritas would be, for Sweet Pickles, comparable to your birthday falling on a Friday (i.e., two of your favorite things coinciding)... where alcoholism meets eating disorders, you'll find Sweet Pickles. Standing on the corner of Drunk & Skinny. Euhhhhh!

Needless to say, we'll obviously be trying out this recipe when we re-open the MTV Party Spring Break Beach House on Sweet Pickles' back porch for the summer. [P.S. to the grad students: do not forget to get that mannequin from Earl!]

TGIF

[You know who I'm talking about!]