Jackiew12's Blog

Blame it on the Roadwork

Jackie — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:24:05 +0000

Driving through the streets of Ithaca it is not uncommon for one to find a couple of bumps and bruises along the way. I was driving around town the other day and was shocked by the amount of potholes and speed bumps. The people I was with blamed me for the unwanted jumps that the car made, but I blame the streets of Ithaca. It is the responsibility of the town to maintain the roads and ensure that they are in condition to be driven on. I tried to avoid one pothole, but it was impossible with the narrow confines of the street. In summary, the town must take the initiative to correct the problems that occur within the streets, because it is in there jurisdiction.

Where Can We Find Summer?

Jackie — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:21:54 +0000

Ithaca is known to be a fairly rainy place, but I have to say that this is getting ridiculous. We had a couple of weeks of sunshine and heat that served purely as teasers of what’s to come in the future. Since then, we have been privy only to a couple of fairly nice days, but nothing to rival the high 70′s we once experienced.

The Ithaca stores have put out all the summer equipment that families are likely to need. All year I have been searching for a chair for my balcony, and finally after the entire year I find one in the Tops grocery store. I realize now that I couldn’t find one, because it is this time now that is the season for such items, and it is the only time they are really sold. It is a green, fold up chair, made of canvas and very comfortable. It even has it’s own cup holder. When I saw it, my eyes lit up and I knew that I had to have it, no matter how much it cost. The downside of getting the new chair, was realizing that if I wanted to sit outside I would need to bundle up in a winter blanket. I want to bask in the sun, not freeze all the way down to my toes. What’s even worse, is that this excess of rain has caused the chair to get wet, and there is nothing worse than lounging in a wet chair.

So…Ithaca, all I ask is that in the next few weeks, while the students here must be stressed, and stretched way too thin give us something to be happy about. With finals on the horizon there aren’t many places for us to find joy. Throw us a little heat wave, a little sunshine and it will be sure to brighten the day of at least a few students.

Buttermilk Falls

Jackie — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 01:21:28 +0000

For some reason, every time a person comes to visit me in Ithaca, they decide it’s necessary to visit Buttermilk Falls. On a beautiful day like today, it doesn’t seem quite so tedious, even if you’ve already been to the falls multiple times. The weather was absolutely perfect and the falls are always a sight to see. What confuses me the most is the fact that some people just can’t seem to follow the laws.

Gorge Trail was closed off to the public, there was a gate and signs saying that the trail was hazardous. I was upset that my family didn’t get the opportunity to go on the trail, but I respected the sign and didn’t want to put myself in uneccesary danger. Many people went up and down the stairway, disregarding the police car in the parking lot. Even though they recognized and understood that their actions were not only illegal, but dangerous they still did what they wanted to.

The falls also had signs saying, “swimming prohibited” but that didn’t stop a teenager from showing off in front of his friends and jumping off the edge into a cannonball. He swam to the edge and hopped out as quickly as posssible. It was clear that he recognized what he was doing was wrong but did it anyway. Unfortunately, the beautiful falls were visited by people acting rebelliously and negligently. This didn’t ruin the warm and clear day, or the beauty of nature but it really frustrated me that people wouldn’t do what was right.

Always Something to See..

Jackie — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:48:55 +0000

In times of boredom, we as humans seek entertainment. In times of excitement, we seek calm. In times of waiting, we seek pet shops and Wal-Mart. With 45 minutes to kill, my friend and I had absolutely no idea what to do. We were waiting for his phone to be ready for pick up from the Verizon store and the looming time window seemed daunting. We didn’t have enough time to do anything of real substance, but there was no way we were going to just sit in the Verizon store parking lot.

Our first idea was a trip to Ithaca’s local Pet Smart. We explored the aisles, examining the colorful fish and boisterous birds. We found a place, in our little town that was able to provide sufficient entertainment-at least for a few minutes. After a while, we figured that there were only so many animals to see and that we had no interest in dog food or cat litter.

Next destination-Wal-Mart. For a college student, Wal-Mart is a one-stop fun shop. It can be super entertaining if you’re in the right mood. Browse for a few minutes and somehow you end up with an armful of stuff you never knew you needed. I purposely brought no money inside because I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist. My friend wasn’t as lucky, he ended up spending somewhere around $40 and he hadn’t been planning to buy anything at all.

We perused the aisles looking at different movies, cd’s and unhealthy snacks just waiting for the time to pass. It went by fairly quickly and it was time to head back to the Verizon store. It’s funny how little things can be so entertaining and wherever you are, there’s always something to see.

Friendly’s

Jackie — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:27:34 +0000

Chain restaurants are not as bad as one may think. Ithaca’s Friendly’s has much to offer. Their quick service, and variety of options for selection make it a great place for a sunday night dinner. Ordering and appetizer is recommended but not necessary. The main course comes out very quickly, so you don’t have to worry about starving while waiting.

I would suggest the Honey Barbecue Chicken SuperMelt as a main course. You can order it as part of the $9.99 deal, which includes a drink, main course and sundae. It is a cost conscious choice for a family on a budget. It is a family and kid friendly environment, which makes it ideal for families looking for a place to eat without breaking the bank.

Overall, Friendly’s is an underrated establishment, and should be looked at differently. Though it does have everything one would expect from a chain restaurant, it more to offer as well.

Visit..http://www.friendlys.com/menu/lunch-dinner/ for a full menu and more information.

Convenient Care-Ithaca

Jackie — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:55:36 +0000

Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca-Convenient Care Center

It’s not every day that one must make a visit to the Convenient Care medical center which is located just around the bend from Ithaca’s Tompkins County Regional Airport. The most amusing thing about the place is the way that they treat those waiting for someone to come out of the care area. There is a large supply of coffee and tea on a table near the middle of the waiting room. Twice in the two hours I was there I was offered crackers and small snacks from a women carrying a basket who seemed oddly remniscient of a flight attendant.

I feel quite sorry for the people at the receptionist desk who have to deal with the people who come in and appear to either be on a large amount of drugs, or are just plain out of their minds. I was scared that while waiting, I would fall asleep and find myself in the back of a van headed for the border of Mexico. It is clear that the center attracts people from all walks of life, and though this is a convenient facility, a visit will surely take several hours and one will be left wondering it it’s safe to close one’s eyes even for just a moment.

OBSERVATION Exercise

Jackie — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:27:30 +0000

It’s nearing 9 PM and Wal- Mart’s Subway is almost empty except for two women nestled towards the far right corner. John Mayer’s “Assassin” off his new album Battle Studies plays over the speakers setting the mood for conversation or relaxed silence. The song is mellow, but is playing loud enough to get caught up in.

Large Nathans sign adorns the front of the shop featuring, pretzels and nachos and chips as well. The brick design surrounds the front counter and the entire shop.

Crystal, Subway’s sole employee on shift is preparing for the end of the night. She swiftly wipes the cutting boards to ensure the cleanliness of the establishment. She carefully drags the rag against the board and repeats this for two others. She cleans out the metal bins and lets them clash together, the sound audible throughout the entire establishment.

The ice machine clunks and rattles as one woman waits for her cup to fill and converses to the women at the table across the room. Once they’re both seated at the table the conversation continues. They share stories of when they were young and went shopping with their families.

In saunters Thomas, a Wal -Mart security guard and one of the women tell her, “don’t be nice to him.” The two interact as she continues to swipe clean the cutting boards and proceeds to send flirty comments his way. The security guard laughs with Crystal and then walks away.

One of the women says, “Keep trying to kiss up to him, he’s my manager not yours. Call him Thomas Joseph.” The women keep talking to Crystal and it is revealed that the Subway will be shut down for three months.

Crystal shakes the covers of the food and gets all the utensils ready to be put away. Another employee makes her way to the front right corner of the Subway. The metal chair scrapes the ground as she pulls it out from the small circular table. She doesn’t interact with the other employees.

The employee up front sips her drink surreptitiously and faces away from the other employees, choosing not to joke and laugh with her coworkers. She is clearly younger than the other two women.

Crystal’s ringtone, Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” blares she quickly scuffles across the floor to silence it and then continues breaking down what she can of the shop.

As time passes, the broom and mop come out. The swish of the broom, combined with John Mayer’s soft tones. The sounds of the shoppers at Wal-Mart, rolling their carts past the shop are only noticeable for short time. And what is going on in the subway is all that can be heard. It is routine, sweep from one side to the other. She disappears into the back room to finish up the closing of the shop

There are some characters..

Jackie — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:16:26 +0000

On friday afternoon I was working at Old Navy in the Shops at Ithaca Mall and got to learn a couple of things about Ithaca residents. First of all I learned that people actually pay in stores with checks. Second of all I learned that some people are absolutely out of their minds.

This one woman decided that she was going to take 20 minutes to get checked out. There was a customer in front of her buying two pairs of flip flops. One pair was plain and the other had the word beer written all over it. The woman asks the college-age appearing student, “Oh, are you going on vacation?” when he said no she said, “Oh do you work out at the island” he didn’t understand and she clarified that she meant the fitness center. He then had to explain to her that he was a college student and needed the shoes for showering. She then went on to share her college experiences with showering in flip flops.

Once he left she was getting rung up and couldn’t for the life of her figure out where she’d left her license. She thought it was at the doctor’s office, or at the insurance agency. The icing on the cake was the woman standing behind her who was clearly getting agitated. After the woman was finally rung up, the woman behind her in line moved up towards the register. The other woman still hadn’t left the store and decided to ask the woman being rung up if she was buying the heart pajamas for herself.

The crazy lady wouldn’t leave the woman alone and insisted on grabbing a black nightgown with hearts to show the annoyed woman, and said that she was thinking of getting one for herself. Finally, both women left the store and left behind several baffled employees.

There are many interesting people in the world. Several happen to live in Ithaca, NY.

How bout’ them hills?

Jackie — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:23:12 +0000

Most Ithaca residents would agree that Ithaca is a very hilly place. It is of course noticeable while driving up and down the narrow streets. Today I decided to ignore the cold weather and the promises of steep climbs and go on a run through the streets of Ithaca.

It started off great; I spent atleast 15 minutes of the run, running downhill. I was flying and enjoying the day. I figured that running downhill would eventually mean I would be running uphill but I didn’t exactly grasp how very up the hill is.

As I climbed higher and higher up the hills of Ithaca, it made me truly realize how the town is set up. I was able to observe the town from a different perspective and truly appreciate the natural elevation in the roads. The city of Ithaca can be considered truly beautiful, but it can also be considered terribly mountainous.

Plethora of Culture

Jackie — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:34:11 +0000

Sitting in Borders, dutifully formulating my questions for an interview, on either side of me people are bustling about and chatting in languages that I cannot decipher. It is very interesting to me because I have absolutely no idea what language they are speaking. The family to my right consists of three women, a man and a little boy. I think that it was a family of a grandmother, mother, husband, son and sister. They are chatting with their coffees and cooing at the baby, as all people do with babies. They’re laughing, but I don’t get the joke. I’ve always heard that laughing is the same in every language and it truly is. They just looked at me but I am almost certain they don’t know I’m writing about them.

I just heard the word “finito” and I thought looking that up would surely tell me what language they are speaking. After looking it up, I realize I was correct in assuming Italian. “bah, bah, bah,” said the “grandmother” mimicking the little boys whines. It seems as if they’ve been enjoying the atmosphere for quite some time. The family decides it’s time to leave, they all get ready to depart together and head towards the door, their laughter fading away as they exit.

It is incredible how much you can decipher about someone just by looking at them. It is also incredible that there are so many cultures out there, and in this town that I know nothing about. I wouldn’t like to call myself ignorant but in some ways the term would be fitting. The language sounded extremely foreign to me and I couldn’t help but wonder what their story is. How did they end up here in Ithaca? Have they thought about learning English? Why don’t I know their language? There is so much out there to learn and so many cultures that should be explored. In this culturally diverse place, we should all pay more attention to others around us who maybe aren’t so different after all.