College was a fun time for many reasons. It was a life-changing experience where I learned a lot in terms of education and in terms of myself.

But one thing that has not changed: my love for pizza. And nothing speaks to the college experience more than partying and eating pizza. And there was no better place my first couple of years than Marina’s Pizzeria.

That’s because it was walking distance from my college campus and was the hangout for everybody on weekends. I know the business card says they close at 11 on weekends, but the staff kept the pizza parlor open until 4 am to cater to the college kids.

And I was one such guy who frequented Marina’s, whether it was eating there or getting delivery. And as with most independent NY pizza, it was delicious. I’m sure the alcohol helped with that, but I enjoy pizzeria food… what can I say?

I remember going there with my friends and splitting a pie on the big metal trays. I don’t do that anymore, but that’s probably because I’m antisocial and can’t eat that much pizza anymore. I’m old and my stomach feels it… plus, I make my own pizza at times.

But regardless, I also recall getting garlic knots, chicken & veal parmigiana heroes and other random foods on the Marina’s Pizzeria menu. Never any pasta or salad though since that was also at the time of obese me.

Unfortunately, Marina’s Pizzeria closed part way through my college career. I’m not sure why it did, but I know I missed it since no other good pizza place was open late like Marina’s was. Giacomo’s (also across the street from the campus) was good but closed at normal hours.

Same goes with Quiznos. Campus Deli was open late, but I was never too keen on getting sandwiches that late at night (though I did opt for other snacks). My late night cravings got fulfilled by the Palace Diner that was 24 hours.

But it wasn’t the same as Marina’s.

Business Card Count: 38,151

Spring cleaning is an essential part of life, especially when family is coming in from out of town for a while. And with spring cleaning comes purging. And I’ll admit I’m something of a pack rat for memories.

I found so many photos, ticket stubs and other trinkets from over the years like awards I long forgot about (like one for appropriate behavior, honor rolls and citizens of the month) and writings of mine.

I didn’t even know I had them, so I won’t miss them if I got rid of them. Not to mention duplicates of many photos including ones I took while visiting Berlin in the fall of 2005 for 3 days.

Highlights of My Trip to Berlin

Shockingly, I’m not going to start off talking about food. I think the first thing I want to talk about is all of the landmarks I got to visit including the Berlin Wall that I got to take a piece of home of, which interested me because of the artwork on the wall itself along with the symbolism it has keeping half of a city and country separated.

At that site was also Checkpoint Charlie where people could go between each side of Germany at that time. That’s where I bought my ushanka… which is the Russian hat with the ear flaps that can be tied to the top of the hat as well. That hat was one of, if not the most comfortable things I’ve ever worn on my head in the wintertime.

I also saw a number of artistic aspects of Berlin on Museum Island. I’m a big fan of history and it’s funny that a lot of Berlin is fairly new since a good part of the city got bombed during World War II… making it ironic that there is history where there might not be as much. I also enjoyed walking by landmarks like Branchburg Gate and the Berliner Fernsehturm (or TV tower with a rotating restaurant) of my business card collection fame.

I’ll also mention the food briefly since I don’t remember much about it, outside of having bratwurst and knackwurst on my first day in the city once I got my things settled at my hotel. Other than that, I’m sure I ate and drank some German beer just to say that I did it. I also enjoyed going to a couple of clubs and just exploring the city collecting business cards and seeing sites.

Business Card Count: 37,928

If you didn’t know by my blogs already, one of my favorite foods is pizza. And the first place I remember having pizza was in my hometown of West Islip NY on Long Island.

And naturally, the pizza place closest to my house was called West Islip Pizza when I was a kid. As a local SEO expert, this is the golden goose of business names in an especially competitive market like the pizzeria business.

But alas, it was either sold or renamed to Anthony’s Pizza and Pasta in the mid-90s before the Internet was a thing. But back to West Islip Pizza, I remember the little man on the business card so well. I always asked myself, “why is that chef smelling the pizza?”

That little man always indicated that a good time would be had since I loved (and still love) pizza. Even the 2 most important kids in my life always ask for pizza and get it sometimes. Sometimes we order one and sometimes I make it.

But let’s throw back to the past again. My love for pizza has been around for a lifetime and West Islip Pizza sparked it all. It caused me to try slices in my hometown from the aforementioned Anthony’s Pizza and Pasta, Slices n’ Ices, Italiano’s and Cafe Europa in my formative years.

It’s inspired me to maybe, just maybe, go back to West Islip one day and try a slice from each pizzeria that exists there now and rank them from best to worse. Then again, housing a whole lot of pizza at 32 might not be the healthiest strategy… though, I’d work it off at the gym.

I’m curious what pizza everyone likes or liked the best from their time in West Islip…

Business Card Count: 37,002

I recently came across a business card that I enjoy that Max Seibert used to stand out while promoting his brand. It stands out to me because it’s a Ouija board.

I may like board games, but I’ve never used a Ouija board though I do remember having one briefly as a child. I was always skeptical of its capabilities of being a portal into the spirit world.

My cynicism came from my logical thinking that Ouija s a multiple-person board game (or board activity) where everyone has their hands on the planchette (aka the little pointer thing with the opening to indicate which letter is being communicated), so the odds are that someone is pulling on purpose or subconsciously.

But, I’ve watched some paranormal shows with my significant other that have shown some links between the use (or misuse) of Ouija boards and the spirit world. One particular case that stands out is where a girl & her sister mess with a board without properly finishing the ritual and that causes their home to be haunted.

I read some history about these boards and it actually started out as a parlor game and then the inventor had to sue a bunch of people who ripped off his idea. Eventually, Parker Brothers bought the rights from the guy’s estate and then Hasbro took over Parker Brothers.

My belief is that Ouija boards are not actually a portal to the spirit world because I feel as though that type of power would not be man made. I feel it had to have existed from the onset of whoever created the world. I think any “portal” that would open up the spirit world would already be open and the concept of a Ouija board may anger a spirit enough to haunt a location rather than the board itself.

Oh, and I’ve seen online reviews of the Ouija movies and they look awful.

Business Card Count: 36,482

Taking a trip is all about having fun experiences. And I intended to make my one day in the city of Savannah, Georgia with my significant other just that when I went down to see her family for Thanksgiving last year.

We spent the day doing a scavenger hunt, going on a haunted tour (because Savannah is pretty much built over graveyards of old) and enjoying Southern delicacies like pralines.

We decided to cap off the night at the one hookah stop we could find on Google/Yelp: Persepolis Lounge & Grill. We were conveniently about 3 blocks from it, so we gave it a whirl.

And man, did it pay off! The place was almost empty for no good reason since the ambiance was intimate and classy. The owner and waitress we had were both wonderful.

The owner recommended an amazing port wine that we had a couple of glasses of. The food was also to die for… We had a chicken dish with some rice that really stood out in a good way.

We wound up staying at Persepolis Lounge & Grill for a couple of hours just enjoying our adult night out. This was our first long trip as a couple and there was some arguing, so this day in Savannah GA and meal/hookah experience really helped make the trip special.

Business Card Count: 36,137

My birthday is coming up real fast, so I decided to take a look back at my last birthday and a really sweet gift I got from my someone special: a dinner cruise on Cornucopia Cruise Line.

I’d love to go on a cruise one day and was told that taking a dinner cruise that lasted a few hours would be a good dress rehearsal. I remember the last extended boat ride I took (outside of a ferry) was in Cape Hatteras when I was 9 or 10 years old and I wound up getting seasick and vomiting orange from eating an OJ & carrot breakfast.

But I digress. We departed out of Perth Amboy, New Jersey before the sunset and I couldn’t wait to experience what Cornucopia Cruise Line had to offer. And it started off with some well-made drinks and a nice view of the sunset.

Then came the food. We had a 5-course meal that consisted of small appetizers, a pasta, a Caesar salad, the entree choice I made was salmon in a creamy dill sauce with potatoes & a vegetable and a plate of pastries for dessert. I enjoyed the food I had.

Then came the dancing. The DJ played music from a variety of eras and the dance floor was full. Thanks to my significant other, I’ve rediscovered my joy for dancing and this night meant that I could just let my inner boogie loose. I also got some kudos from a couple of people on the boat for a combination of my dancing and my date.

I had a fun time on my first dinner cruise, even if it was just in Central NJ. I’d definitely do another cruise, especially around the Caribbean. Thanks to Cornucopia Cruise Line & my someone special for making my birthday celebration special and fun.

Business Card Count: 35,792

I love unique business cards and one of the more distinct ones I’ve ever found was from The Music Den located in Ledgewood Mall and Kinnelon Mall New Jersey. I went to the Ledgewood location when I first moved out to Budd Lake so many years ago.

I was shopping for Christmas presents for my family and I knew my brother liked music & played guitar, so I decided to stop into The Music Den. I remember looking around, but I’m not sure if I bought anything from there.

The only thing I remember was grabbing their business card and thinking that it was cool that it looked like guitar picks. I realized later when organizing my cards that this card was thicker than usual and the business card contained 4 actual guitar picks in it.

Are they good guitar picks? I have no idea since I like keeping my business cards in as good of condition as possible & poking a guitar pick-sized big hole isn’t exactly the most productive way of doing so. That and the fact I can’t carry a tune if my life depended on it.

It’s actually an ingenious way to promote your company if you sell musical instruments & sheet music. Kind of think of it, I may have bought my brother sheet music for his guitar that day. I can’t recall though.

Business Card Count: 34,872

A while back, I wrote a blog post about Subway and how it’s not worth the money. One submarine sandwich shop that’s worth the money is Quiznos.

I remember first experiencing Quiznos at their location in Poughkeepsie, New York that happened to be right across the street from my college campus (along with 2 pizzerias, a deli and more). It’s still there to this day, but I noticed that many locations closed.

So it made me wonder: whatever happened to Quiznos?

Turns out that they closed a bunch of locations during the recession and in 2014 when they filed for Chapter 11. It’s a real shame, but I can see how people would gravitate towards Subway because of its message of being healthier over Quiznos being more savory.

Though I don’t think the spongmonkeys ever had child porn like Jared did.

The food at Quiznos is so much better than Subway and Quiznos toasting their subs long before Subway did. I discovered it in college and enjoyed it while there, at home on break from college, on occasional trips to NYC and at rest stops. Alas, there are few and far between nowadays.

My favorite sub to get was the Chicken Carbonara (chicken, bacon, mozzarella & mushrooms with parmesan alfredo sauce) on wheat. I always got it with a large with some chips and raspberry lemonade. It was a go-to meal at least once a week for me because I loved the cheese flavor and the chicken/mushroom/alfredo/bacon combo.

I also got the Baja Chicken (chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese baja sauce and no onions & chipotle mayo) on occasion, but never enough for it to be my favorite. I’d love to eat at Quiznos again, but I’d have to find a location since they don’t have many… while Subway has one in like every town. I need that Chicken Carbonara, like yesterday.

Business Card Count: 34,464

I’m going way back to the 2006ish for this one since it was the day my 1995 Buick Skylark was officially on life support. The Skylark was my second car ever and it was a fun ride.

It was a bold blue color that really stood out and appealed to me when I was shopping at my mother’s friend’s grandfather’s used car lot. I was getting over the loss of my first car, a silver 1997 Chevy Monte Carlo, via Asian lady stoppage in the middle of the highway. But I did enjoy the Skylark for about a year and a half until things started going south.

Several parts started going until it would cost more to fix the car than it was worth. I was told by the mechanic that it only had a few more miles until the engine would stop. He recommended a place to go drop it off: A&T Auto Parts Last Chance Pick & Pull in Hyde Park, New York.

I thought to myself “of course I’m taking my car to a place called Last Chance.” It’s the most appropriate name for a junkyard since it’s the last chance the guy had for being whole.

It probably wound up getting gutted for parts, which is pretty sad considering I knew the body shop who got my 1st car and actually told me when my old car was ready. Man, I did enjoy driving to and from college in the Skylark.

Business Card Count: 34,025

That’s right: at one time, I lived out of a hotel. The Poughkeepsie Residence Inn to be precise. It’s a really long story of how this occurred, but it’s a doozy.

It was my senior year of college and too many students who got accepted by Marist chose to go to my alma mater. So the natural logic Marist had was to triple up certain seniors. And of course, one happened to be me.

And I was pissed especially since my roommates were quite annoying. I snored too loud apparently and they tried to make me sleep in the living room. I went and complained about it to the RA on several occasions that I couldn’t live with my roommates.

It was only 2 weeks into the semester and it was arranged that I would be moved out of the triple and into their new solution for overflowed students: the Residence Inn down the road from the school. Apparently, other students were living there also and I was told to expect a roommate. But I never got one!

So I slept in my own hotel room with multiple bunk beds inside. The room came with a kitchen, which I almost burned down once thanks to my poor cooking skills. I felt such shame when the fire department walked outside with the pan I was using. I can sense the anger the other people had since I’ve felt that when people set off fire alarms by burning popcorn.

There was also a pool and fitness center I would have taken advantage of if not for the fact that I was at my worst weight and diet at that point. At least I took full advantage of the free breakfast every day and I’m sure I ate oodles of bacon & sausage and no yogurt or other healthy stuff because I was a fatty.

Overall, I really enjoyed living in the hotel for a semester. I got booted from there over winter break and wound up moving into an apartment with my brother & his girlfriend (now ex-girlfriend).

Business Card Count: 33,660