I WIN!!!

I've always been of the philosophy that Tuesday is the worst day of the work/school week. So many people claim Monday should hold this title, but here's my argument: You come to work Monday, and if you had a good weekend then you have a lot to talk about and the morning goes by quickly and before you know it afternoon is there. If you had a bad weekend, then chances are you're glad it's Monday and you want the weekend over. Wednesday is Hump Day and not at all bad, on Thursday you can almost taste the weekend (hopefully good) and of course, Friday is Friday. But Tuesdays suck. I wake up most Tuesdays and the first thought that goes through my head is, "Fuck, it's only Tuesday."

What is the point of my story, you may ask? There is no point except to show just how one event can change your outlook on anything. I woke up this morning with that same curse going through my head. I struggled into work, and sat at my desk doing my best to pass time. However, in the back of my mind I knew this day had a silver lining. For over the weekend, I got a slip on my door. And on this slip was my key to becoming a big winner: a $500 Best Buy Gift Card was waiting for me in a FedEx Office, and today they delivered it to the office at my apartment. So at lunch, I went and picked it up, and behold: it was a "Great Day."

There are certain websites that make seemingly outrageous offers. "Click here to claim your free gift." "Want a new laptop? Just click here." And so on and so on. I don't know about all of these sites, but I found one that was legit. The Prize Center.

Through this site, you need to complete certain "offers" in order to claim your free gift. The gift I chose was this Best Buy gift card. Now before I started, I read all the fine print. Some of these sites make you complete all their offers, only to require you to refer other people to complete all the offers as well before they give you anything. This prize, however, required only 8 offers to be completed; 2 "Silver", 2 "Gold" and 4 "Platinum" offers. Each level of offers are composed of about 20-30 things you may need to do, such as subscribe to a magazine, get a free trial of something and only pay shipping, or subscribe to an online service.

What I did was look at each level (and they mostly consisted of the same lists of offers) and decide on eight that I could legitimately do without having to invest too much money. Then I signed up for the offers, usually for a trial period of 2 weeks or a month. Near the end of each month, I would cancel my offer and not pay another penny. Once you click on the offer on The Prize Center's site, it automatically goes into your account as a "Pending" offer. So in the end, just by looking I had about 20 pending offers. The Prize Center then contacts the company giving the offer to be sure you paid your due and fulfilled the obligations of the offer. Now I know personally I was worried so I kept a few of these offers past the free trial and paid for an extra month. My original plan was to spend about $50. In the end I probably spent probably about $150. Now that may sound bad, but remember I still got my $500 Best Buy Gift Card.

Here are the offers I completed (I don't have links to the sites, but I'll give some of the companies and an overview of the offer).

Netflix: 2 week trial for free, then fulfill a full month. This cost me $14 for the month. One thing about Netflix is I am still using it, but I only count the first month toward this because I am willingly paying for the service now.

Blockbuster Online: Month Trial for $9.99 I think. I stopped this after a month, but got many a free movie.

GreatFun: This is a site that gives you coupons for great deals at many main-stream restaurants and stores. I paid $3 for the first month and stayed on another month for $15, but never used it...but this could be a useful service.

Critics Choice Entertainment Club (I think that's the name)...paid $2 I think for the offer and gave it up after the trial because I didn't use it. Similar to Great Fun.

Ultimate Nutraceuticals: 12-in-one Vitamins. This is also called Klee Irwin's Health Products. This is the company that screwed me, as they got about $80 or more from me by being kind of shady and not canceling all my services when I asked. However I didn't feel like fighting since I was still profiting despite these assholes. But I wouldn't recommend this service at all...stay away.

VistaPrint: Possibly my favorite of the offers. 250 FREE business cards, you only pay like $8 S&H. And I made custom business cards that I use as a joke...but a damn funny joke. Also, no obligations for this one. I got my cards and I was done with them. Highly recommended.

EMusic: Another easy one. 99 cent month trial, and you can cancel online so you don't have to argue with some salesperson.

3 In 1 Credit Report: This is a subsidiary of FreeCreditReport.com (you know, the company with the commercial of the guy in a pirate suit.) This is a legit company. I had a problem giving out my Social Security Number but I checked into the site before I did any of that and they were legit. Paid like $3 I think for the first month, and the people were very nice when I canceled. No arguing and they told me I could use the site until my month trial was up all I wanted, no hassles at all. Recommended if you haven't gotten a credit report recently.

I also did a 9th offer that I can't remember just to be safe, as my Netflix offer never got approved (which is funny seeing that it's the only one I kept.)

So after all my offers were approved, I was told to click on a link that brought up an application form. I had about 2 weeks to get this form into the company through the mail. One problem I had here was they made you fill out a tax form, so I gave them my SSN, but I figured at this point it was worth the risk (I don't have much of an identity to steal anyway). So I send it in well before the deadline and then get a major scare...the envelope comes back to me in the mail, saying the address didn't exist. Problem? HELL NO!! I emailed them immediately telling them what happened, and within a day they emailed me back with a fax number. I sent them the fax (note this was after the deadline but I also sent a copy of the envelope with the early postmark on it). And they immediately approved it. You can keep track of all of this on their website. The approval was dated February 25, and it said to wait 6-8 weeks to get your gift. Well, about 7 weeks later....I WIN!!!

'Tis The Season

The road crews have been out all week, and I foresee them being out for the next three. Of course, you may say...It's Springtime. Well, that may be so, but that's not the reason road crews have begun the process of beautifying Louisville's roads, highways, and medians. It must be Derby Season!!

Now don't get me wrong, this post is not meant to belittle the city. I think it's amazing that every year, on the first Saturday in May, the eyes of the world turn to this small little town that thinks it's a big city, all in anticipation of The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports, The Kentucky Derby.

While I am not a big fan of hype, there's no arguing that this event is what put Louisville on the map. And the city embraces it like no other. For weeks each spring, the Kentucky Derby Festival livens up this city with a fervor rarely matched anywhere else. Derby Festival "officially" kicks off tomorrow night with Thunder Over Louisville. This is actually a one-day version of Fair St. Louis, for those familiar with that annual St. Louis treat. Thunder includes a day of insanity in downtown Louisville, complete with live music, and airshow, and of course, the obligatory immensely huge fireworks display. While I will take the backdrop in St. Louis with the Arch and the riverfront any day over any other city's fireworks, one cannot deny the absurdity of the Second Street Bridge being engulfed in smoke, and virtually disappearing. How many cities can boast that??

Along with Thunder, the Derby Festival boasts an aspect that I find fairly unique, the Chow Wagons, which are dispersed throughout the city and contain a hoard of artery-clogging, but undeniably delectable deep-fried treats. A Pegasus pin gets you into these wagons free of charge, at which point you are free to fork over a load of money for the privilege of ingesting a Bloomin' Onion, Bloomin' Potato, a large turkey leg, or any number of uber-fattening goodies, including the "Official Pizza of the Kentucky Derby Festival" (and the entire state of Kentucky) Papa John's, or as I call it, "Louisville-style Pizza." Though I think my Papa John's rant is best saved for another post.

In my humble opinion, the Kentucky Derby Festival begins in early March with the start of the Triple Crown of Running, a series of three races that regularly draw thousands of runners to the area. Within the running community, these are stepping stones to a fourth race, the KDF Mini Marathon. The Mini is another aspect of the Festival that I find quite enjoyable...though I have never run it. However, so many people get up for this race, including spectators, that I felt it necessary to make mention. It takes place every year the weekend before Derby.

And then, of course, there is Derby weekend. It begins on Friday (as most weekends do), with the Kentucky Oaks. This is a lesser-known race that draws a huge crowd, especially of Louisvillians. Many Louisvillians actually prefer to go to Churchill Downs for Oaks due to the more tame, yet still uniquely exciting, atmosphere. Oaks Day is actually a city holiday in Louisville, with many public offices closed, including the schools. The bars stay open until 6 AM on both Friday and Saturday, instead of the normal 4 AM. So that begs the question, why even close?

And finally, there is Derby itself. No two minutes in any sport can draw the attention that Derby does. Millions tune in around the world, and countless celebrities and travelers converge on Louisville to witness this event. While I have never personally been to Derby in my eight years in Louisville, I know that the atmosphere must be absolutely electric. I believe that traveling to Louisville on the first Saturday in May should be something most people should try at least once in their lives, as it is truly one of the unique events this country has to offer.

Apartment Living at its Finest

Today will be another stray from the topic of this blog, as I'm not going to be comparing anything here in Louisville to something in St. Louis, but I will be complaining about something here. And in the future I may complain about things in St. Louis.

I live in an apartment complex. It's a decent apartment, 2 bedrooms, 2 bath and about 1100 square feet, for a decent price. So I am happy with where I'm living, but lately there have been serious problems. About 2 months ago I received a note on my door, "in order to ensure constant, regular water temperature" they would be doing work on my apartment. My first thought was that this would be great because I was annoyed with the water temperature fluctuating so badly.

So after about a week, I come home to discover 2 holes in my wall, for no apparent reason. Well, I let them be for a bit, and the next day the holes were plugged with insulation. However the next week, I found out why the holes were there in the first place. I came home to find two large copper pipes protruding from one hole to the other. Two days later, I came home to 5 more holes in the wall, and two plastic tubes hanging across my ceiling connecting 3 of the holes. Again, I was patient for the sake of progress.

Of course, that was over a month ago, and since those pipes and tubes have shown up, all I've received is the occasional message on my door saying, they are running "final tests" on everything. Since that day over a month ago, I've probably been off work during the week about 5 days. On NONE of those days, including today, have I seen any work being done on my building.

So last week I decided to email someone. At first I got no reply, but upon sending a second email, I got a very extensive reply from a woman who had just started a few weeks ago, explaining that she was sorry and the people they hired to do the job were way behind schedule, but they changed the contract giving them a deadline, and things would be done by this Friday. Ok, remember that date, Friday April 11. I find it hard to believe that it will be done by then...as ABSOLUTELY NO WORK has been done so far this week. They now have 3 days to get this shit done.

Anyway, I email her back, asking just what happens WHEN (not if) the work is not done by Friday. She just explained to me that the contractor would not be paid as much. Well, I'm certainly glad that by me having to live longer with these damn holes, the apartment complex is saving money.

Among the many other things covered in these emails, I requested some sort of compensation or the opportunity to get out of my lease early. Of course, she told me she had no power to do any of that, and kindly reminded me that I received a sizable discount in rent upon moving. Now, I'm not one to complain about discounts in rent, but I reminded her that I don't recall receiving that move-in discount in exchange for them putting holes in my wall. She cited me some Fair Housing bullshit (even though I believe Fair Housing Law applies to discrimination based on race, gender, etc...., similar to Equal Employment Opportunity). She said Fair Housing prohibits her from giving me any compensation or treating MY situation any different than any other.

However, and this is my favorite part, in a different email she completely contradicted this point. She reminded me of my rent discount, and said that since I was paying so little, she couldn't give me the same concessions she could give other people who paid a bit more. Yet she had just quoted fair housing saying she had to treat every situation the same. I plan on writing back an calling her out on that. I also plan to make her specifically cite the sections of the Fair Housing Act (which I have looked up and will read) that she is referring to. I plan to make her do quite a bit more work before I am through. Anyway, I'm going to attach copies of the emails for your pleasure, and I may post my continued correspondence.

To read the emails, click here

The Trip

I think it's been so long since I last posted because of the shame I felt for myself after our ill-fated trip to Pennsylvania and Denny's Beer Barrel Pub. I don't even know how to begin to describe the scene at this place, but I'll do my best.

The weekend started out fairly well, but I think I should have realized things would go wrong very early on. Everyone got to my place in Louisville (from St. Louis) late Friday night, and the first ill omen happened pretty early on. After seemingly mastering Ninja Gaiden, I couldn't seem to beat the game that evening, and I gave up...bad idea.

The next bad omen came when we left roughly 90 minutes later than planned. While this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it just goes to show you that I should have noticed these signs for what they were. The trip to Pennsylvania was fairly pleasant, and I followed through on my promise to run at our gas stops. I ran about half a mile at the first stop, and Justin and I then ran a little more than that at the next stop. One thing I realized late in the morning, however, was that even though I had stopped eating over 12 hours before, I never really felt hungry like I was hoping.

Fortunately my stomach started rumbling about 60 miles from Clearfield, and when we pulled in to the restaurant, I began to experience the nerves normally reserved for the starting line at a race (I'm not exaggerating at all). I had been training for this day and it was finally here. So we ordered our burgers and waited.

When they came, my eyes went wide at the size of the burger, but I wasn't really surprised. To be honest, it really was just about how I pictured it...maybe just a bit bigger. But I was ready, and had my strategy all planned out: eat the meat first and then worry about everything else.

Well, about halfway through the meat, I started feeling the effects of the massive amount of beef. While it tasted great (seriously, it was and excellent burger) I quickly got sick of the taste of it. So after about half of the meat was gone, I began eating tomatoes and banana peppers, which helped me get through probably another quarter of the meat (or roughly 1/2 lb, to put it into context). Then I couldn't take any more meat, so I concentrated on the toppings and bun.

I ate all the tomatoes and banana peppers next, and that was actually quite easy. I really wish I could have eaten the rest of the meat I had left, but it still repulsed me, so I focused on the bun. And while the doubts had started to creep into my mind before this, the next part of my journey was what did me in.

They spread a ton of nasty, sour relish on that bottom bun, and I couldn't take it after all the meat and toppings I had already eaten. It was just too strong. So after eating about half of the lower bun, I put it down and focused on the top bun. At this point I still had probably 25 minutes left so in essence, it was still possible as I was past the halfway point. However, this bun was insane. It was like eating about 6 cooked pretzels, for how dense it was. Eating a bite of the bun was like eating an entire piece of bread, and it seemed to expand in my stomach. So I formulated a plan to roll up the bun and try to eat it in as few bites as possible...except rolled up, it was still the size of a grilled stuffed burrito from taco bell, except all bread and not delicious grilled, stuffed fillings. So I got about halfway through this, but even before I started that, I knew I was done.

I don't know why I kept at that top bun except that I wanted to see just how far I could get in an hour. Instead, with about 12 minutes left I surrendered, having eaten probably 3/4 or more of the meat, all the toppings except the relish, and probably the equivalent of half of the bun, so I probably finished about 3/4 of the entire thing. Our pal, El Nino did much better, finishing all but the top bun before throwing in the towel.

Now, I thought I would digest that thing quickly and be done with it, but somehow the worst was yet to come. When I stood up from the table after paying the bill (and unsuccessfully trying to drink a beer) I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and it felt like I might explode. As we walked out, the feeling only got worse. I could do nothing but wander the parking lot, walking back and forth to try to get this shit to digest quicker. But it didn't. I probably should have just tried to make myself vomit, but I was too arrogant for that, and instead got in the van after a short delay and we began the trip home. I would say the first four hours (no exaggeration, I promise) of the trip back I was in serious physical pain. Finally after about 6 hours I felt normal again, but definitely not hungry. That burger digested so slowly that I wasn't hungry until the next afternoon...I ate a small breakfast the next morning, but that was almost painful.

So even though it was a fun trip, I will always look back on it in anger at my failure. I really was disappointed that I didn't finish that burger. Who knows, maybe I'll try again. But one thing is for sure...I am not done with eating challenges, not by a long shot. I will not quit until I have my name on the wall of some restaurant for successfully completing their challenge.