Phi-town

Yeah, you bastard, get out of the filthhole.

I went to the new branch for the first time today. Easy commute into central Jersey. Not surprisingly, it's a lot like the old place. It looks different, though - the california branch of the company has an office that looked like it was built during the mid-90s. A lot of space, airy. The New Jersey branch looks like an elementary school built during the mid-80s, exposed brick, like it would've been modern looking 20 years ago.

The people are all very friendly, different from Philadelphia. I don't know if it's a New Jersey thing or if it is just about their working for McMaster-Carr. People advance in management more slowly there than they do in LA, which is going to make things more difficult. People are nice. A lot of the younger people in the branch live in Manhattan. Inexpensive gas in Jersey, and the state is full of trees.

I like Philadelphia a lot. It's like New York at half-speed, Manhattan's junior cousin, slightly less attractive but easier to get along with. Parking's hard, but it's a good town to walk around - I know where things are in center city. I'm going to stay in this house for 2 months and then get a place in the center of downtown, I think. I miss Los Angeles a bit.

The end of this season is shaping up well. I guarantee that the Red Sox are going to take the division.

Stone