Good Ol' Mom and Dad

Parents are special people. There is no other way to put it. They take care of you, they take you places (until you can drive and then they let you have the car), they embarrass you, they make you mad, they give you advice, and, most importantly, they love you no matter what you do.

My parents are special people. They are very special. And interesting. Lets just say I have got some stories. Anyways, I know they love me no matter what I say or do so I try to do the same back to them. When they embarrass me I try to let it go because it is actually almost funny. So, I deal with the embarrassment and all the other little annoying things that they do to me. Because of this, for the most part, my parents and I get along and we don't fight. I actually hate fighting with people in general and I especially hate fighting with my parents. Thats why I let so much go, its just not worth the fight. We aren't perfect though, we do fight and one of the few times is when either my mom or dad or both don't agree with a choice that I make.

I have a really hard time making decisions and choosing stuff so when I finally decide on something I am really happy. Yesterday, I finally made a decision about college (I am going to stay at home for the fall and got to college at home and then go to Binghamton in the spring unless I get taken off the waiting list for the fall) so I called my Dad to tell him what I wanted to do. I thought that he would be happy for me but all that happened was he started yelling to talk to my Mom.

That was not exactly the reaction that I was expecting from him, so I got mad at him and started yelling that he is not the one going to college, I am, and it is my decision because it is my life and not his. So then he started yelling back at me and then I gave the phone to my Mom and he started yelling at her that she pushed me in the wrong direction and that she should have been pushing me to go to Buffalo in the fall and not stay at home. When I heard that I got even more mad because all along my Dad has been saying he doesn't care where I go or what I do as long as I am happy but I guess all along he has been lying because he obviously does care.

I don't think I have ever been so mad at my Dad before. When he got home last night I did not say one word to him. I only spoke to him to ask if he was ready to apologize to me yet. He said no and that he was not going to apologive because he had nothing to apologize for. So then that was that.

My Dad will come around eventually and when he does, I will be waiting for him with open arms. Like I said, parents are special, and in my case stubborn, so I guess they should be handled with care.

The Great Guide to Binghamton, NY (mostly food)

I went to Binghamton University, formerly SUNY binghamton a couple of years ago. Every year was very different for me, different friends, different extracurriculars... Freshman year sucked. but after that, I started to have a lot of fun diverse experiences.
Something that really helped me was having a friend who knew the ins and outs of the school and the city of Binghamton (and vestal, and Johnson city). He showed me all the secrets of the school and the city, and really advanced what I knew about the school.
I am the type of person to keep exploring in order to find the best of everything available. The best places, to me, are not the student hangouts. You want to go to the places where the locals hang out. You want the best food, the places that are hard to find, the little known places, and the best deals. This post has been 6 years in the making. Here is what I've found in Binghamton:



FOOD:
the Dugout in appalachin. Great Pizza and Wings. rarely crowded. townie like bar, but friendly to students too - there arent many there. You get there by going on Vestal Hwy, towards vestal. past everything. once you think you are too far, go about 5 more miles and its on the left.

Wegmans! If you don't love wegmans you are not human. the greatest supermarket in history? possibly. They have great quality foods. comparable to whole foods, but not as strict with the organic types. I dont even think they mention organic there. But thats the type of standards they have. Plus they have great ready foods : subs, pizza, wings, chinese, soups, sushi, and others. Most times I went there just for dinner. My favs were the buffalo pizza, hot wings, and danny's sub with the sub sauce. might as well.


Theos - southern style fried chicken, ribs, cornbread, huge wings. This is real southern style food. Go to the buffet - I think its either on fridays or every day. and there is a Sunday brunch which I've always missed but sounds great. maybe I did go...

Walmart deli section. You don't get these supercenters downstate ( that is a word I never heard before going to Binghamton) They basically have every food you could want - crappy, but cheap and they use a lot of salt. I liked the sweet and sour or hot chicken nugget type things at the deli section. No, I love them.


indian restaurant on main st pretty much sucks. but what other choice do you have for punjabi?

J. Michaels - This was IT for me when I was a sophomore. Its right off main street, but hard to find. You open the huge door, and you have to go downstairs - into the basement. They have a piano player sometimes. Its real italian style. The mafia had a big presence in the area for a while. I could see this as an establishment frequented. Its not too nice that you would feel uncomfortable, but its far from the rest of binghamton. If you bring a date here - things will go well.

Southside Yannis - my friends got hustled there recently, because one 28 year old forgot her ID and they wouldnt serve a drink to a 24 year old. They are pricks about IDs. Dont bother drinking if you dont have a good ID. and if you have friends underage, they may give you a problem. This is an upscale townie bar. they wear hawaiian shirts often. The food is inexpensive and passable. Very few students go there (something which I personally like). The atmosphere is great though. I liked it there (before my friends got into a fight with the manager) . I am hoping that if enough students pack in there, they will change their ways and grow up. Age has nothing to do with maturity.

Tonys - Best pizza in Blinghamton? yes, best pizza. yes. the best. Its not in binghamton, technically. its in endwell. Their mussels in white sauce are amaZing! Seriously - capital Z.


Lost Dog Cafe - if you are female. just go and be sex in the city.

Pepe's - drunk food. good food. famous. experience.
he is the only one in the picture that does not look like a douchebag. and has a mustache.

Ice Cream Corner and also Pat Mitchels, but he died, sooo....

Belmar and Sportsman bar for wings. but its annoying to eat wings while people are macking it in back of you. the other bars have wing nights. Monday - thursday you can eat wings well downtown.
Tom and Martys is having a resurgence. Good for them. I like that place.

Whole in the Wall - earthy food. all natural. wheat grass. pitas. you know the deal. Its very good. welcoming environment

Nut Shop on main street - next to the indian place. its small. family owned. try it. you will probably like it, but might not come back. no one really needs nuts in the first place. they need to expand or something.

Foliage. This was my first real chinese food discovery in Binghamton. Across from the cemetary on Riverside. Its legit. It won't make you sick like Red Wok, sodexho sponsored wok or China One. I am critical about my Chinese food. Those places suck. Foliage is good.

Moon Star - in Endicott or Endwell. I cant remember. Its the same road as tony's though. This is the closest thing to china town within 150 miles. Seriously. its good. legit. I dont think they serve sesame chicken there. This is probably not the best for the highly allergic or squemish because the people don't speak english and the food is not typically american. after bubble tea, this is a very real asian experience (near binghamton). Why the hell are they where they are though?? its strange.

Mei Kong, Vietnamese. its nice there. There are a few of them.

endicott Cortese. People love their pizza. I respect it.
Along those lines, Nirchi's. They are very unique. A nirchis pizza is distinctive. Dont bother with the normal NY style there. Go with what they do best. squares. You get about 4 different kinds at a time. I recommend the italian style wings, and the garlic are great - I was obsessed for about 2 months. The sandwiches are good too, surprisingly. Im hungry.

Grotta Azura- good REAL italian and crazy woman. Mama, I call her, but not to her face. She is blunt, she owns the place, she serves the food, she will tell you stories, shes big and shes a lovely person. What makes it is probably half about the experience, and a third the food.

Reveiller - johnson city -This is a little coffee shop style place. Its a bunch of middle age to old ladies running the place. The food is passable. its more of a fun experience though. They have good natural lighting, from what I remember. Also a coke is good. The diner across the street looks appealing, but Ive heard many bad things about it from the locals. It is called - green owl.

Sharky's - Binghamton is famous for their spiedies. Im not sure why, to be honest. Its originating from the area, yeah, but I really dont care. Spiedies are good there but so are perogies. they have good specials I hear. Its a place I wish I would have explored the menu more. You can also go to Lupo's for spiedies (there are a bunch of locations, slightly out of the way). Sharkeys has a better dive bar kind of experience.

Kampai is great for the special night out. Its habachi. its everything you can expect. They do the tricks with the volcanos and the hats and shooting shrimps, you know the rote.

its fun though. bring a 20. and call ahead to get your friends name on the sign.


I cannot vouch for these, but my friends like them...
java joe's, buffys burritos
dannys, rolandos, chris's, park diner, the spot - I am from LI and these diners are by comparison greasy shitholes. but a lot of people go to these every day.

NOT FOOD, but things to do:
Laurel bowl - mondays are cheap, probably other days too. You can drink there cheaply.
Cinema Saver in Endicott - 2 dollars - you can make a mistake and not feel so bad about it.
Salvation army!
Speedway gokarts
Nathanial Cole Park. free kayaks, rowboats for the lake. there is a beach there too.
First Fridays is a great thing to check out if you want to get cultural. blah blah. but it really does seem cool
the zoo - ive heard the animals are sad though.
I went to a hockey game at the arena last year. It was great! its a really small arena, no bad tickets. and they are very reasonable. so, why not? go at least once in the year.
Along those lines, the baseball games at the stadium are fun too. In a small town kind of way.
Clinton St. antique row
Harpur Film Society

I recommend getting a car, and exploring off campus. I also recommend getting into some club or social aspect in Suny. I was in the tv station and the student govt. dont stay in your room, and don't join a frat or sorotity if you want to have a variety of friends. Every town has something to offer. There are the triple cities around Binghamton, and even the neighboring towns are nice too. This is a list Ive been meaning to create for a long time. I want to pass what Ive learned on. Give back some places that you love by commenting here! I want to hear. I tell myself I will never come back to binghamton, but every 6 months or so, I find myself there somehow. I usually go to Weggys at least once, yannis, and tonys.

If you want more information on what Ive given you, go to this site, I created it, it has all the information you ever could want to know about anything. type the name of the place, and binghamton and you are there.


thank you matt, dene, chet, and gail for refreshing my memory

Does Anyone Know How To Make A Decision???

Decision making has never been my thing. I am always the last to order at a restaurant, I always buy at least four different flavors of gum, and I spend the whole night picking out a movie because I can never decide what I want. Its even worse when I need to make a decision for other people because then I not only feel the pressure from myself to choose what is right, I have to deal with making sure I choose something right for them too. It’s so annoying because it wastes my time but no matter what, I can never make a decision.

The other problem is I always ask people what I should do because I can never decide for myself. I rely so much on other people's opinions and it always influences my final decision. My parents definitely do not help me either because when I ask them, they give me half an answer (if that is possible). They try not to tell me what to do, so that I will “make my own choices,” and then at the same time they manage to tell me exactly what they think I should do. They truly have a talent. All they end up doing is making the whole situation worse because they both have two completely different opinions (which has me try and make them both happy, which never happens).

My lack of decision making capabilities is having me choose a college be like 20 times harder. Sometimes I feel like I have a million choices and then sometimes I feel like I have one. I think people with a lack of decision making skills also have the tendency to make things into extremes.

I am so frustrated with college I am almost ready to make a poll and ask people what they think I should do. You know what, here it is: Choice A is that I go to Buffalo; Choice B is that I go to Buffalo and transfer to Binghamton in the spring; Choice C is that I go to college at home for the fall and transfer to Binghamton in the Spring; Choice D (only possible if I get off the wait list and in to Binghamton for the fall) I go to Binghamton; or Choice E (my personal favorite at the moment) I skip college and join the circus.

I wish someone would just tell me what to do but I guess it’s just a part of the "college picking experience". It really would not be the same if someone just said to me, "do this, it’s the right choice." As annoying and stressful as deciding is, I bet I would be even more annoyed if someone decided for me. I am probably better off this way; maybe I will even learn how to make a decision.

The Secret of a Big Envelope

For months I have been back and forth on where I should go to college. Everyone has been constantly asking me where I wanted to go and I think every time I have answered with something different. First I wanted to go to Binghamton, then I wanted to go to Delaware, after that I wanted to go to Buffalo, then I decided I wanted to go to college in Boston, then Delaware again, and then my Dad told me he wanted me to go to a SUNY so then I was trying to decide between Buffalo and Binghamton. About a month ago I finally decided to go to Binghamton but when I decided, I hadn't gotten a letter from them yet. Even though it wasn't official, I was really excited because I thought that now when people asked me where I was going to go, I could actually give them a definite answer.

About two weeks later, a few of my friends got there letters from Binghamton and they only got in for spring and they got wait listed for the fall. Not to sound horrible, but I was actually happy because I thought that meant I would get in for fall. I began to get a little to obsessed with the mail and I started waiting for it like everyday.

Finally, after all of my waiting, my letter finally came. When I got it, it was in a huge green envelope and on the envelope it said "Your the one that we want." I was so relieved and I ripped it open right at the mailbox so I could read it. I started to read it and then I did a double take. Not only was my letter an acceptance letter, it was at the same time a rejection letter. I bet you never heard of that before.

After all of my cockiness, I too only got into Binghamton for the spring and got wait listed for the fall. At first I was devastated because I just was not expecting this to happen, especially after the stupid letter came in a huge envelope. Its not the end of the world, I guess I could be much worse off. Other people I know got completely wait listed and others got flat out rejected. The only part that really is annoying is that I stil don't know where I am going to go. I don't know, maybe I would have been better off being flat out rejected, that way I could at least make a decision instead of waiting around to see if I get taken off the waiting list.

College Applications: The Procrastination Game

I have been looking forward to College for as long as I could remember. I loved the idea of being on my own, far away from my parents and their rules. It all seemed so far away and then before I knew it it was time for me to start looking at Colleges. Throughout my junior year I looked at Binghamton, Buffalo, University of Delaware, and University of Maryland: College Park.

When Junior year ended I was so relaxed because I figured no more work until September. Thats probably why I was surprised when in August alot of my friends all said that they started their applications. I have always been a procrastinator so to me, August was way to early to start. Everyone kept warning me that the applications took forever but i just kept pushing them aside. I knew I would get everything done so I was not worried.

The rest of the summer flew by and then school started. Everyone was talking about where they were applying and where they wanted to go. College was the center of every conversation but I was still unsure of where I wanted to apply. In the end of September, my best friend handed in all of her applications and finished all of her essays. I finally decided that maybe it was time to start.

I started with the "easy" stuff. I did all of the forms and filled out all of the blue sheets for the guidance apartment in my school. I hit my teachers up for recommendations and I made my resume. I finished all of my stuff within a month but one thing: the dreaded essay.

I thought my college essay was going to be the easiest thing to write. It had no specifications and I could basically write whatever I wanted, but no matter what I did, I could not write it. I tried writing it from all different "angles". After all of my attempts, all I did was sound desperate. Finally, after alot of thinking, I realized I could just write about myself. I ended up writing about a story about myself from when I was younger. The story was funny but serious at the same time and it related to alot of things in my life. I ended up writing, in my opinion, a really interesting essay.

Looking back I definitely should have started my applications earlier. I would have saved myself alot of stress from having to cram everything in all at once. As for my essay, I regret that I spent so much time thinking about how I was going to write my essay, I ended up just overthinking everything and wasting time. I could have written that same essay in a quarter of the time that it took me too if I had just relaxed and stopped worrying about what the colleges wanted.