Cory's Blog

            So far this summer, I have flown back home to Arizona, worked at orientation, flew to New York and flew to Chicago. Needless to say, I have been getting the most out of my summer vacation, not to mention my frequent flyer miles. However, this weekend while staying down in Hilton Head with my aunt and uncle, the pangs of home pulled at me, and I knew that I needed one more taste of Arizona before I start pharmacy school up in Columbia here in a few weeks. So, it looks like I will be getting the most of my frequent flyer miles yet again.

            I will be flying back home to Tucson on Wednesday and staying at home for two weeks before returning to Hilton Head for a couple of days. After my “pit stop” in Hilton Head, I am going to drive up to Columbia and move myself into my apartment on the Horseshoe.

            So, if you don’t here a lot from me these next couple of weeks, it is because I will be away enjoying a little bit more of the desert heat, home cooking, and no school. However, if you decide that you need to ask a question, feel free to drop a comment and I will do my best to get back to you. We do have the internet in Tucson these at least! That’s all I got for now. Enjoy these last few moments of summer and take care!

Posted by Cory at 08:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            It was the main reason I decided to finally visit Chicago. It was the place I had longed to go for 20 years now. It was the place all of my friends couldn’t believe I had never been to. Yes, I finally made it to Wrigley Field to see a Cub game! The experience was all I hoped for and more. So now, I shall share with you my fantastic experience at the “Friendly Confines.”

            Before I could see a game, I had to get there right? Well, the main way to make that happen was to take the elevated train or “el” for short. So, my family and I piled onto the el and took it to 1060 Addison Street, the address of Wrigley. As we approached our stop, the outline of the historic ballpark began to materialize and the excitement was palpable in our train car on the “el.”

            We got off the train and were there about two hours early so we could see the Cubs hit batting practice, and to my surprise there were long lines to get through the turnstiles. Scalpers were selling bleacher seats for a shockingly high 75 dollars! These high prices were for a Thursday afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants! I quickly learned that seeing a Cub game at Wrigley is always a hot ticket.

            Well, after passing by the Haray Caray (former broadcaster famous for singing the 7^th inning stretch) statue, we entered the gates. As I entered into the stadium itself, my senses were bombarded from the sights of blue clad Cub fans everywhere, the sounds of excited chatter, and probably the biggest sense pleaser, the smell of hot dogs, peanuts, and the other ballpark fare. All of these sights, sounds, and smells surrounded me, not to mention the feeling of history and tradition in the nearly 100 year old ballpark. I can honestly say I have never been in a stadium that “smelled” and “felt” more like baseball.

            Next, we had to find our seats, and so we found our section and began to walk up the steps to get into the open air to sit down when I saw it: my first view of the field crept into view! It was one of the most awe inspiring sights I have yet to see. First I saw the big green hand operated scoreboard, then I saw the ivy covered walls, the perfectly manicured grass, and bleachers already packed with eager fans. It was an amazing first glimpse of the historic “Friendly Confines.”

            After I replaced my jaw back in its correct position after gawking for a good five minutes, we got to our seats five rows back along the first base line. Before the game could start, we had to indulge in some Chicago style hot dogs, followed by a whirlwind session of picture taking. Here I am in all my excitement at our seats.

 http://uscbloggers.com/cory/basking.html

            Game time finally came around, and as the Cubs took the field, a Wrigley Field tradition continued as Van Halen’s “Jump” was blasted throughout the stadium as the players warmed up. This tradition goes back to 1984, and while simple, I enjoyed the warm-up as I often hear it played in the background on TV, but had yet to experience it in person. When the Cubs came to bat in the first inning, they “jumped” out to an early 4-0 lead! While great, I knew my team better than to assume that it would be enough to win the game. As I suspected, the Giants struck back in the next inning when Barry Bonds blasted his 752 career home run completely out of the stadium and onto Sheffield Avenue.

            Not to worry though as it was the Cubs’ day at the plate, coupled with their hot bats and some awful Giants defense, and their starting pitcher had to be taken out early in the game. With the removal of the starting pitcher came another musical tradition as “YMCA” by the Village People was played. I don’t think the music was enough to lift the Giants spirits though, as the Cubs ended up scoring 9 runs!

            Before the game could end, another famous Wrigley tradition was in store with the singing of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the 7^th inning stretch. This may have been the highlight of the game, as me and 40,000 of my closest friends joined in the singing along with the guest conductor, Chicago Cubs radio announcer Pat Hughes. We all sang in unison along to the traditional ballpark organ that played.

            Finally, I got to see what I wanted most of all, a Cubs win! It was a good thing they scored all those runs too, because the Giants were able to tally 8 off Cubs pitchers before the day was over, but in the end, they came up just short. As the last out was recorded, the song “Go Cubs Go” by a Chicagoan Steve Goodman was played and yet again we sang along together in the stands (I recommend checking that one out in Itunes). The white “W” flag was raised over center field and all was well in Wrigleyville for another day.

            Post game was meant for some more picture taking. Here my mom and I are in front of the main gate.

 http://uscbloggers.com/cory/me%20and%20ma.JPG

            Along with the photo-ops was some shopping. I picked up a Cubs t-shirt and keychain, and Mom went wild for the people back home in Arizona who were unfortunately unable to make it. Finally, after the crowds died down, we got back on the “el” and it was back to the hotel and a celebratory dinner.

            As you can tell, I sort of enjoyed my first ever trip to see the Cubs play at Wrigley Field. It was the best time I have ever had with 40,000 of my Cubs fan brethren, but as impressive as it was, it made me realize that our home football games attract more than twice that amount.

            This was something I noted to keep things in perspective as I prepare to get back to school and Gamecock football. One thing is for certain, with the Cubs and Gamecocks playing in August and September (and with any luck, the Cubs will be playing in October too) there will not be a dull moment!

            Anyways, I hope that you had as much fun reading that as I actually had going there and writing about it. There is one thing I have to make clear. In the lyrics for “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” there is a line that goes “I don’t care if I never get back.” However, after seeing a game at Wrigley Field, I do care if I never get back! In fact, I would really love to get back, as soon as possible!

            That’s all for now folks. Y’all deserve a break for reading through that long piece. Thanks for sticking with it and until next time, take care!

Posted by Cory at 07:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            If you read my previous blog, you would have thought all I did in Chicago was eat. While that did consume a lot of my time (get it, consume and eat? Oh well, I tried) we did get around and see a lot of Chicago and let me tell you firsthand, Chicago is an absolutely beautiful city with some very nice people to go with it.

            We spent one day just walking around, and lucky for me and my friend Brad 09’ Philosophy/Economics), he was in Chicago on an internship, so he got to tag along with my parents and aunt and uncle! To begin, our hotel was just a block away from the Chicago River and what is called Marina City. Here is a picture

 http://uscbloggers.com/cory/DSC00179.html

            Along the river you can see all of the boats, yachts, and even kayakers enjoying the city skyline.

            Also, another Chicago trademark is the Sears tower. It is the tallest building in Chicago, and apparently a lot of people wanted that view from the top floor too because when we arrived, it was an hour and a half wait to just get inside. We reached a consensus that there was more to do and be seen than just the Sears tower, so we trekked it around elsewhere, but not before I took this “artistic” picture.

  http://uscbloggers.com/cory/DSC00180.html         

            A final destination was Navy Pier. It used to be just that, a destination for the Navy, but it has been transformed into an almost carnival like area. As a bonus, on Wednesdays and Saturdays it has fireworks. Lucky for our crew we went on a Saturday and were treated to the best fireworks display I have ever seen! Here is a view of the Chicago skyline at night. Pretty cool huh?

http://uscbloggers.com/cory/DSC00181.JPG

            Of course, none of this would have been possible without our “tour guides” my Uncle Bob and Aunt Lois. They know the city from all their years spent there, and I owe them immensely for their great work.        

            Now, the importance of a good tour guide allows me to at least mention something remotely USC related. If you have not visited USC, when you do decide to come a University Ambassador will show you around. I have several Ambassador friends and they will definitely show you the highlights of USC, much like my aunt and uncle showed us the highlights of Chicago.

            If you happen to be coming here to move in to USC in long about three weeks, odds are you won’t know all the “hotspots” around Columbia either. That is where it becomes important to ask your Residence Advisor, as they have been thoroughly trained, or, you can even send me an email! After two years I know a few spots around Columbia.

            Anyways, after that seamless transition from my vacation to USC, I will seamlessly head on out of here, but not before a great teaser. My next blog will be my final in my “vacation installment” and will be about my biggest thrill in Chicago. Care to guess what it is?

Posted by Cory at 07:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            So I had been looking forward to Chicago for months. The skyscrapers, the bustling city life, the CUBS! But what was the first thing we did when we got into Chicago? Eat a Chicago style hot dog of course! That is right, The Windy City is also well known for its cuisine, and let me tell you, it was everything I had hoped for.

            As I was saying, we started off the “tour de jour” by getting a real Vienna Beef Chicago style hot dog. What is “Chicago Style” you ask? Well, you start out with a poppy seed hot dog bun, throw a Vienna beef hot dog inside, and then “run it through the garden,” meaning onions, sweet relish a pickle spear, and sport peppers (which add quite a bit of heat). Smother it in mustard, and you are ready to eat!

            After our hotdog “snack”, we had dinner at Pizzeria Uno, or Uno’s for short. This place turns pizza as we know it almost upside down. Allow me to explain: first, the crust is deep dish style, and it is so flaky and crispy, it reminds me of one of grandma’s pie crust. Next is where it gets turned upside down a bit: they put in a thick layer of cheese, and then came the sausage, topped by the sauce. It may sound a bit different, but trust me, it was delish!

            Next on the magical food tour of Chicago actually came in Indiana when my uncle and mother took us to one of their old places they ate as kids called Phil Smidts. Their specialty? Frog legs. Not exactly what I think of as gourmet, and I didn’t bother with them, but everyone else who was a little braver had no problem.

            Just a couple more tasty spots to go: The next place you may know from a certain comedic movie a couple years ago. Taking another trip down memory lane, my uncle had us stop at White Castle for some “slyders” which are kind of like mini hamburgers. They are deliciously bad for you, but that didn’t stop me from eating five!

            Finally, we had a nice treat our last night as we went to what my uncle called the best place for ribs in Chicago, “Carson’s”. A full rack of perfectly cooked barbecued baby back ribs later, I am convinced that those may have been the best ribs I have ever eaten.

            Don’t get me wrong, I did a lot more in Chicago other than eat. Stay tuned for more great sights, sounds, and maybe a couple more bites!

Posted by Cory at 07:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Boonville, New York? Have you ever heard of it? I didn’t think so, but this small upstate New York town is where I am spending the first week of my two week summer vacation. It is a place where I can see the cows come out in the pasture from my grandparents’ back yard and where I can eat fresh sweet peas from Grandpa’s garden. But still, why Boonville? Well, it is where a majority of my dad’s family is from, and because we were having a “big time small town graduation throwdown” of sorts for my Cousin Mitch’s high school graduation. So, I have been spending time eating Grandma’s cooking, hanging out with the relatives, and, did I already mention something about eating?

            Yesterday was the big party. Now allow me to describe exactly what went down: at my grandparents’ house (which is on an acre of beautiful lush lawn) were two large tents where everyone was sitting, and doing what you ask? Eating of course! We had thirty six pit cooked chickens, three pork butts, pulled brisket, a bevy of salads, fruits, and a giant graduation cake for Mitch. On top of the good eats and great company was the amazing run on “polish horseshoes” that Mitch and I won. We won 9 times in row, did not lose, and left the day with the nickname “Mac and Cheese” (much like the delicious treat, when were together, we can’t lose!).

            Here is a picture of the tents and lawn:

     http://uscbloggers.com/cory/DSC00102.html

            And here are Mitch and myself, the big winners!

     http://uscbloggers.com/cory/DSC00111.html

            Aside from the big party, I have had the chance to play a little golf, eat Grandma’s cookin’, and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Adirondack Mountains here in upstate New York. However, I am down to one more day, and then it is off to Chicago to meet my mom, aunt, and uncle, and get a chance to see a Cubs game live and in person! Not to mention all of the other cool stuff the Second City will have to offer. Until next time, take care!

Posted by Cory at 07:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

   Hey there folks, I am back in South Carolina, down in Hilton Head with my aunt and uncle until school start. I have written some blog about my vacation, so the following four or five posts are about all the exciting times I had on my vacation. Enjoy!

            (This is the first in my series of blogs about my vacation to upstate New York and Chicago. The following was written while in New York in the present tense at the time.)

            I am not one to sound full of myself, but it is pretty hard to pull of a surprise on me. It seems like I have a pretty good grasp of what is going on and what is about to happen. With the noted exception, of course, of my fantastic surprise birthday party this past December. However, on the first leg of my trip to Upstate New York, I had one of the biggest surprises that I can remember.

            Allow for me to set the stage: I had planned to fly from South Carolina up to New York, then after a week there, meet my parents and my aunt and uncle in Chicago. These plans had been set since last March when we had booked the tickets.

            Now, my flights had a bit of a delay, and I arrived in Syracuse about an hour and a half late. All day long I had tried to call my father and let him know that I was going to be late but he didn’t have his phone on, which really wasn’t anything new since he never seems to have it on (hint: this is a bit of foreshadowing). When I finally arrived in Syracuse, waiting there were my Grandfather and cousin David. We picked up my luggage, and had planned on eating supper at my Uncle Steve’s house. For some odd reason, my Grandpa has a real interest in my phone, and he took it and was looking at it all trip home.

            Anyways, we arrived at the house, and I came in and saw my Grandma and Uncle, as I expected. However, out from a hallway came, who else but my dad! I was speechless, I literally could not speak! How had he pulled this feat off? Well, about a week after I booked my trip, he decided he would come out, but it was not just my dad, but also all my family and friends who knew about it. Everyone was in on it but me! They got me!

            After I got to New York, all of my family had the same question “So did you know?” and could honestly say I had no idea. Anyways, that was quite the way to start off my vacation this summer. Who knows what other surprises await?

Posted by Cory at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            Well, the Koger Center is empty, there are no lines of food in the Russell House Ballroom, and the 16^th floor of Capstone is empty. This can only mean one thing: Summer 2007 orientation has drawn to a close! We had our last day on Friday, but I was so busy moving my things out I haven’t had a chance to post.

            Anyways, my summer of orientation was a lot of fun, but now it’s time to move onto “phase 2” of Summer ’07. On Tuesday, I am flying to visit my family in Upstate New York. My cousin is graduating from high school, and it is time for a big family party to celebrate. I am talking a giant tent, dozens of family members young and old, and, of course, delicious food as far as the eye can see (down the picnic tables at least). I have been to a couple of these big time small town throwdowns, and I can attest it is quite the fun experience.

            After my time with the “fam” in New York, I am flying to Chicago to meet my aunt, uncle, and parents for the second part of my trip. There I will finally catch a Cubs game live and person at Wrigley Field, as well as visit the Second City and see all it has to offer.

            Yes, I’ve worked hard this past year in the classroom and at orientation to earn myself a nice vacation, so I will be out of touch for two weeks, but rest assured I will be coming back at the end of July rested and ready to bring you tales of my time off Not to mention preparing to start my four year journey of pharmacy school! Until next time, ya’ll take care and keep on enjoying your summer!

Posted by Cory at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            Holy fireworks, it’s July! My goodness how the sweet summertime flies by when you are having fun, working, or, in my case, having fun while working. It seems like just yesterday I was moving all of my luggage into the 16^th floor of Capstone, but here I am, already packing and getting prepared to move it all back out this Saturday. This means that we only have one more week of orientation left!

            So, it is down the homestretch we come. The classes are getting a little fuller as all of the freshman and transfer students gobble them up day after day. The weather seems to be even hotter, yet somehow rainier as well. Go figure, I guess that I will chalk that up to good ol’ Columbia summertime weather patterns. Either way, we just have to be that much better here at orientation to make sure all goes well and runs smoothly. So far, for the first four weeks, I’d say we’ve done a pretty darn good job.

            This past weekend wasn’t overly exciting, but it was a nice relaxing change of pace. Nick, Kathryn, Kenneth and I caught a Blowfish baseball game Friday night before a torrential downpour sent us home soaked. Saturday was well spent taking care of errands followed by a quiet evening with one of my favorite DVD’s, “Nacho Libre.” Sunday, Ben, a fellow orientation team leader, and our boss Harrison stopped by the Food Lion in Five Points to buy snacks for the week. After that, I worked out at Blatt and went and saw “Knocked Up” (for the second time) with Nick, Melisa, and Kathryn. Pretty ho hum if you ask me, but I will have plenty of excitement in the next two weeks to make up for any “down time” I may have had this weekend. Stay tuned for that folks.

            Anyways, that is about all the musings I have for now. I just wanted to stop by and say hey. Sorry if it wasn’t as exciting as you have become accustomed to, but even super-exciting folks like myself need a time to recharge. Anyways, take care, and have a fantastic Fourth of July!

Posted by Cory at 09:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)