Firsts and Feasts

Two things can be said about my day...it was busy...and I ate a ton of food.  Lunch with Mom -- pasta -- and then I went to the St. John Cantius fest to see our fellow Poles in action for their not-really-Polish festival.  It was fun -- hanging out with parishioners, catching up on gossip -- and then I bumped into a college friend, so we hung around some more.  It was fun...  anyways, I've always wanted to go to St. Rocco's for their Italian fest, and as no one wanted to go (stuffed)...I went.  It was not that far from Tremont, in all honesty, and I also passed by St. Michael's on Scranton -- I need to check out the place; the angels in front looked awesome.  Anyways, because I am a man and can read a map (also mapquest), I found my way there with minimal fuss and, miraculously, found a space to park the Behemoth,

The church is fairly small, but very nice; they have the European tradition of having many side altars (4 to side) and two in the front; the altarpiece was interesting, and while it was lavishly ornate, it was quite charming.  The festival was also interesting; I couldn't get into the main hall (I had a third place to be this evening) but I did get a sausage sandwich and the fried dough balls, and they were pretty good, in all honestly.  It seemed most of the action was outdoors, and, in all honesty...I've never seen an Italian festival with so much...diversity, if you get my drift.  To be sure, I did not exactly see...well, co-mingling, if you also get my drift.

Yesterday was another first -- I went to Oktoberfest (with one of my coworkers, another first) and had a good time (not a first, but close enough).  It was interesting -- you pay to get in, and buy beer tickets -- and it was sort of clusterfucky with the online food tickets/Will Call...but it was fun.  I had some beer samples, nothing that wowed me, and some of the entertainment was fun.  My coworker, new to Ctown from Clemson, was also pretty fun, so I am glad I was able to spread kindness in some manner.  Tomorrow, I am going to be working and spreading some of my fat ass on the exercise trail...