Unplain Jane

My friend Jane is blogging here: http://unplainjanenyc.blogspot.com/

Check her out!

Fishing Ken Lockwood Gorge

Yesterday I went fishing in the Ken Lockwood Gorge, on the south branch of the Raritan River near Clinton, NJ.

In addition to catching my first few trout on a fly rod, I caught more trout in one day then ever before. To make it even better, the first one I landed was a beautiful wild brown trout, which I wish I took a photo of. It was a lot of fun.

Below are pics of a rainbow and brook trout I caught.

Twitter

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/schmoilito

Hook, Line, and Mike

Went fishing this past Saturday on Lake Hopatcong in NJ.

We caught 15 hybrid striped bass over 9LBs. Our largest was about 12LBs.

And none were caught on live herring...

Long Branch Half Marathon

Zero training or preparation. Time: 2 hours 12 minutes.

Guitar Lessons

Signed up for 4 guitar lessons today. First one is on Friday. I'm psyched.

I need to learn something new.

Welcome to Liberty City

"What does the American dream mean today? For Niko Bellic fresh off the boat from Europe, it is the hope he can escape his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity. As they slip into debt and get dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don't."
- Grand Theft Auto 4 (back cover)

As I walked by GameStop, enroute to the PATH and eventually NYC for lunch, I realized it was April 29th! Grand Theft Auto 4 (GTA4) - the long awaited, controversial video game for which you need to be over 17 to purchase - became available for purchase today! I was under the impression I wouldn't be able to purchase a copy, since I didn't pre-order, but I stepped inside to find out.

As I was waiting online to talk to a store worker, another customer turned to me, and with a typical slacker greeting, asked me what was up. It was a guy I knew from the place I get my hair cut. He was buying some special edition version of the game - it looked like it was in a big metal box. He also said there was a character in the game based on him. He seemed pretty serious, and went on to say that one of the first homophobic thugs you come across in the game is based on his likeness, and fortunately, not on his personal views and beliefs. He was excited, and I didn't feel like calling shenanigans on him. You never know who people know, or what contests they may have won.

Then it was my turn at the counter. "One copy of GTA4, please" I said. "What system?" the girl behind the counter inquired. "XBox360". She quickly fetched it from a box behind the counter, and I swiped my credit card (after checking for any card skimming device, of course). As I signed the credit card receipt, I had to put the magazine I was holding down on the counter.

"The Economist?!" the girl exclaimed. I still don't know if the excitement in her voice was one of "wow this guy cares about whats going on in the world" or "wow this guy is a dork". Or maybe even one of "who buys GTA4 and reads the Economist?". I politely replied that a bigger world exists outside of the Hoboken GameStop, and I continued on my way to the city.

After lunch, however, I started wondering when I would have time to play this game. I just spent $60 to waste my already precious time. That same $60 could have done a lot of good for someone who needed it. Thats when I thought of the idea of "Good Credits". If I'm going to blow money and waste time on things such as violent video games, drinking, and other things that really don't give anything back to myself or the world, I should at least be willing to donate the same amount of money to a worthy cause who can do some good for the world.

Yeah, I like it already. Good Credits! Every frivolous expense can be justified by a charitable donation. Maybe this is the idea that will get me on Oprah!