As finals week is looming upon us like a big heavy cloud of O-Chem and Marketing, and since I’m currently stationed in the Biomedical Library (I feel like a serious outsider, but the Sevareid Library in Murphy isn’t open) attempting to hammer out a few stories for some JOUR classes, I’m doing great scholastic work by blogging. And since finals week is, for many, a ridiculously stressful and uncool time, I’ve decided to help out with some fun alternatives when you absolutely have to blow off some steam and get out of Walter and Wilson.
For those of you like myself who have recently become of legal drinking age but don’t have a ton of money in your checking account due to some serious holiday shopping, happy hour is the perfect place to start. Though campus bars have some decent deals (Burrito Loco’s pretty good, and I’m not biased because that’s where A&E likes to hang out, either) I’m a big fan of Figlio’s happy hour in Calhoun Square–weekdays, it’s 4-7 pm, and on the weekends it’s from noon to 7! $2 apps, cheap and awesome martinis, what more could you need? Sushi Tango, upstairs from Figlio in the shopping center, has some good sushi discounts during their happy hours too; round up a few friends and go—their plum wine spritzer inspired me to concoct my own at home.
It’s totally cheesy, but it’s fun to walk around Nicollet during the holidays, provided you’re not there during the ridiculous tidal wave of screaming toddlers we call the Holidazzle Parade; don’t even think of going in the skyway during the parade’s Thursday-Sunday run. It’s an insane asylum in there. However, if the weather’s close-to-normal and you have a few hours to spare before 9 pm (everything closes really early downtown), the lights are pretty and the store windows are prettier, especially at Macy’s. Plus you’ve probably got some shopping to do, right?
