I hope you all catch the sarcasm. We've had a little hiatus, but not enough to get rid of the sass.
It honestly feels like that was months ago in a world far far away.
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| We ran in shorts and t-shirts in 70°F weather, now we have a warm front with highs of 24°F . Just plain ridiculous. |
What happened over the past ten days? Sure, I ran the Naples Daily News half marathon with Kaitlin and we had a great time, but once I got back to school, I had the realization that not only did I have to go to classes, but it was Syllabus Week. And not just Syllabus Week, my last syllabus week ever.
Syllabus Week is great because everyone is back on campus since we have to be in class, but class consists of the professor handing out the syllabus and talking in huge generalizations about the course because no one has their books yet and there's nothing really to lecture on. This creates the perfect storm of people having nothing else to do but party.
South Bend is an interesting college town in that it isn't really a college town at all. Since Fr. Sorin thought it would be awesome to plop a prestigious institute of higher learning in the middle of nowhere, there is a serious distinction between the Notre Dame community and the greater South Bend area. This city dynamic has also created some tensions between the town and the university, specifically with regards to how much South Bend should cater to the student community with a walkable downtown with bars, late night restaurants, and shops.
It doesn't.
This means that on any given night, any student that is 21 and over knows which establishment the rest of their 21 and over friends will be haunting, so on any given night, you are bound to run into the majority of the people in your class, and the citizens of South Bend know to steer clear of those establishments accordingly. Here's the weekly rundown:
Monday: Club 23/ Kildare's
The choice here depends on what kind of night you're looking for. Looking for a quintessential dive bar where the entire floor is perpetually sticky and you can get a 32oz. Bud Light for $3? Club 23 is your place. Looking for a somewhat classier establishment that has an Americanized British Pub feel that runs deals on Guinness, Harp, and Smithwick's on Monday nights? Kildare's is your place.
Tuesday: Corby's
My favorite bar. Cheap pitchers, good music, and an all-around good vibe. I've had some of the best nights at Corby's. It's actually the best when it's a little warmer outside, since they open up the back doors to a big patio with picnic tables and such.
DISCLAIMER: If you are an alum of ND this may not be the same establishment that you think of when you think "Corby's". It changed locations a while ago, but the name stuck due to all of the notoriety.
Wednesday: Mulligan's
Mulligan's certainly has more fall/spring appeal since the majority of their space is in what they call the "corral", an outdoor area for the ND kids to swarm when everyone descends on this sports bar. It has some huge appeal because it is walking distance from a lot of the student housing, but it is occasionally overlooked since some people take Wednesday night off to gear up for...
Thursday: Club Fever/ Finny's (The Blarney Stone)
FEVE! I briefly mentioned Feve in an earlier post, and people seem to really like it. The place has three floors, all with different personalities. I'm partial to the basement which is most reminiscent of an actual bar, but it is sometimes fun to emerge to the upstairs and break it down on the dance floor.
Friday: Finny's
Finny's is for the crowd that doesn't want to wait in line for the hype of Feve and doesn't want to pay cover on Thursday nights, but it's also the main attraction on Friday nights. This glorified warehouse of a bar is technically called "The Blarney Stone" but the original name stuck even when ownership changed hands.
Saturday: The Linebacker aka "The 'Backer"
I will be perfectly honest - I've never been to The Backer. I'm a little terrified of what I might find inside - everything from a crowded sweaty dance floor to the notorious "Backer sludge" that stands about a half-inch off the floor. It's definitely on my Bucket List though, since it's another one of those terrible dive bars that shouldn't still be in commission but generous donors have kept it going, paying off the health inspectors. They apparently have a rad playlist too, complete with Journey, Rush, and Styx. A DJ after my own heart.
This is all to say that I have not just been leading this life of drunkenness and debauchery. Last week I made a citrus tilapia with corn salsa, a chili maple pork tenderloin with sweet potato hash, and baked lemon pepper chicken with a panko crust last week. This week will be devoted to school work and baking. And maybe a trip to the Backer.
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