Keep your nasty toes out of profile pics

It's Memorial Day weekend which, across NJ--both "down the shore" and up in North Jersey---is seen as a symbol of the start of summer. Today's weather was in the low 70s with photo-worthy blue skies, fleeting white clouds, and an occasional refreshing breeze. It truly was a "picture perfect day."

All over Facebook, people have been posting photos of themselves either poolside or oceanside. Most of these photos have been painfully similar. The focal point is a lovely beach or pool scene, however, in the foreground of these photos exists a pair of feet...sometimes the pair of feet extends upward and the viewer gets a little bit of leg. Either way, these photos are annoying and incredibly unattractive.

Case 1: The photographer's feet (these photos do tend to also be "selfies") featured bright pink nail polish, faded off on some nails and prominent on others. Gross.

Case 2: Paley McPalerton. The photographer's feet were pasty as anything. The legs were long and bird-like. I wondered if an ostrich had somehow grown human feet and was enjoying a poolside drink and sunning session.

Case 3: Eww. Someone posted photos of a beautiful, postcard beach scene...but her feet were incredibly nasty. The toes were not painted and, for that matter, were not even filed down to a normal length. The toe nails' lengths were uneven and reminded me of a monster from one of of those Pixar movies.

I don't know why girls tend to post these feet and beach/pool pics. My guess is that the photos are supposed to be whimsical and cute, but they are just the opposite to me. Unless you just got a pedicure and have an ultra cute design on your adorable little toes, simply give me the beautiful beach/pool scenery---- minus the inclusion of your nasty feet...or...in some case, what looks to be hooves. 

House Party

During high school, I am certain that there were tons of house parties.  I assume that these were generally at homes of football players and other athletes, but I'm sure that the band kids let loose when their parents were out of town too.

I never went to a house party during my high school years.

Last night, at age 32,  I went to my first house party. I am using house party in the traditional way: a party hosted when one's parents are out of town. Our house party hostess was 30.

I know a staggering amount of people my age who live at home.  There's nothing essentially wrong with living at home, but I wouldn't ever be able to do it because 1] my mother would drive me to madness and 2] I am extremely concerned with my privacy. It's enough that I can hear my neighbor bring his dog outside to "Go potty" and hear the Saturday morning noise of lawnmowers; I wouldn't be able to stand dating/being intimate with someone in my parent's home.

We got into some downer conversations last night. Serious topics arose: student loans, mortgages that people own, the bullshit of "American dream," the bullshit of "American dream" achievement in NJ, and so on.

With the movie Gatsby coming out, the term "lost generation" has been prominent in my mind. Nowadays, with people my age either living at home, being jobless, or just postponing other elements of their adulthood, the term lost generation comes to mind. I recognize that post WWI 20 somethings versus 20 somethings in 2013 are people with two entirely different situations. I still feel that people my age are lost. We can go to college and seemingly do all of the "right things" to get our life in line, but then things just go unexpectedly---not able to afford rent, tons of student loans, having a college degree but ending up with a job that might not even require one...

At this point though, I don't think that things are going unexpectedly anymore...they're going expectedly. It's a fucking downer though.