You can make some good side cash by buying SacMidtown.com. Make a fair offer to Jimmy Spencer (jimmypspencer@gmail.com or 916.606.1214) and all work will be seamlessly transferred to you.

Sale includes: Domain rights, all previous rights to written work, and a simple login to the backend of the site to begin working. The site already is detailed with its own Facebook fan page (built-in followers) and a Twitter account. Both social media staples come with the sale.

This is an easy opportunity to make money off a site that is already built. This was my baby, but a move to San Francisco to teach halted the dream. It doesn’t take much to operate. All the work is done, you just take over. Contact me for more information. Thanks!

The economy is unstable and unemployment rates are painful, yet Sacramento’s restaurant scene continues to be irresistible. With that said, I think it’s time to examine one of the most effective ways to guard your moolah when dining out.

As a Sacramento native who is as equally obsessed with wine as I am food (okay – maybe wine has a small lead), it is extremely rare that I don’t strategically plan my dinner and wine to bond together like peanut butter and jelly.

Once you begin wine pairing with your meals, it’s not easy to get out of that mindset. Aside from the occasional decision to order a beer once and a while, you will more than likely find me sipping on a glass of vino if you catch me out and about in Midtown.

Being that my wine selection is as much a part of my dinner family as the protein, vegetable and carb, selecting a restaurant that meets both my foodie and vino desires is extremely important to me – so long as it doesn’t break my bank. I admit that the occasional splurge to The Kitchen, or Ella is well worth the money and experience, but for the most part, I’m on somewhat of a budget.

One of the most ubiquitous objections I have when dining out is the 200 to 300 percent mark-up on wines. When I see some crappy Kendall-Jackson on the wine list marked at $35, I get just a tiny bit frustrated. First of all, that winery doesn’t even produce very good wines (in my opinion). Secondly, I can find that at Raley’s or Safeway for $10. Thirdly, I know the restaurant purchased it at the wholesale cost of about $7 or $8 per bottle. Consequently, my resentment grows.

The worst part of this experience is when I’m scanning a wine list and I suddenly see one that I’m really excited about, only to find it’s three times the price I know it’s worth if I wasn’t at a restaurant – A $24 bottle of DeLoach pinot instantly transformed into a $72 bottle of Deloach pinot.

Let’s face it, I’m getting screwed. (Please note that I would be perfectly okay with a 30, 40, or even 50 percent mark-up. After all, they’re just trying to run a business. It’s hard enough to run a business in California as it is – I get that. But many restaurants have taken their wine mark-ups too far.)

Below is a guide to wine and dine options that won’t force you to empty your wallet for a bottle of wine. Bringing your own wine is not only more economical, but it enables you to drink what you want! Just make sure you don’t bring something that’s on the restaurant’s wine list – that would be uncouth!

Always Free Corkage
Bandera American Cooking: 2232 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95825
Favorite dish: grilled artichoke appetizer.

Iron Steaks: 2422 13th Street, Sacramento, CA 95818
Spearheaded by Willies Burger’s owner, Bill Taylor, this steak house is arguably the best steakhouse in Sacramento when considering quality and value. Favorite dish: Filet Mignon and twice backed potato.

Miyagi Bar & Sushi: 2580 Fair Oaks Blvd # 26, Sacramento, CA 95825

Fortune House Chinese Restaurant: 1211 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95818

Marrakech Morroccan Restaurant: 1833 Fulton Ave., Sacramento, CA 95825

Sometimes Free Corkage
58 Degrees and Holding: 1217 18th St., Sacramento, CA 95811
No corkage on Sunday
Monday – Saturday, no corkage fee if you buy a bottle in their wine shop (which won’t have that ridiculous mark-up)

Zinfandel Grille: 2384 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95825
No corkage fee on Wednesday nights

Enotria: 1431 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95815
No corkage fee on Wednesday nights

Cafeteria 15L: 1116 15th St., Sacramento, CA 95814
No corkage on Sunday

Taste Restaurant – a bit of a drive for Midtown dwellers, this restaurant is where you should go after a day of wine tasting in Amador. Corkage is free every second Thursday of the month. (Note: Taste was selected by the KCRA A-List as one of the top restaurants in the Sacramento area for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.)

Corkage under $20
The Press Bistro: 1809 Capitol Ave., Sacramento, CA 95811
$10 corkage

Moxie Restaurant: 2028 H St., Sacramento, CA 95811
$15 corkage

The Waterboy: 2000 Capitol Ave., Sacramento, CA 95811
$15 corkage

Il Fornaio: 400 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814
-$15 corkage

Crush 29: 1480 Eureka Rd., Roseville, CA 95661
$15 corkage

Pearl On the River: 1379 Garden Hwy., Sacramento, CA 95833
$15 corkage

Lucca Restaurant & Bar: 1615 J St., Sacramento, CA 95814
$15 corkage

If you know of any restaurants in Sacramento that have free or extremely inexpensive corkage that I didn’t mention, please email me at bethanyhillSacMidtown@gmail.com.

By Armando Gonzalez, SacMidtown.com

It’s your average Sunday afternoon in the heart of midtown’s Boulevard Park. People are out and about in the neighborhood running, walking and biking by.

Yet, something is different about the average day in the neighborhood on my block.
As the local midtowners scatter by they all share the same routine—they stop, they stand paralyzed, and they look up with wonderment at the sight of the abandoned mansion that sits across the street from my apartment. Some take pictures, others play investigator—but most simply stand in front, immobilized for about fifteen-minutes or more. Yep, just another average Sunday afternoon living across the street from the midtown Sacramento’s most haunted landmark.

When we moved in we were just like the daily visitors—awe struck and curious. But, fast forward a few months to now and we no longer join in the work of the local  Matlock’s and Perry Mason’s. Instead, we watch in awe of the magnetic pull that this alleged paranormal hotspot seems to get. In the early evening, just after the sun rises, and even on special occasions, at night—people line up in herds to catch a glimpse of the place. Now I must admit that I am clearly desensitized to the sight of the rickety old place. I have caught my glimpses, and yes, even done my investigating. So I suppose the real reason that I no longer stand around hypothesizing about the place is because I see it everyday, and I guess I feel like I already know the story. At least that’s what I tell myself.

I hadn’t even put away half the boxes on move in day before I was at my laptop performing a multitude of Google searches to get to the bottom of the mystery home that sits across the way.

Within minutes I had a few different theories on the history of the place ranging from Poltergeist haunted to curious midtown landmark that may or may not be—but probably is— haunted. Judging by the online hype comprised of ghost website features and local television and radio news pieces, I was living across the way from midtown Sacramento’s most haunted spot.
Before I knew it, I was drawn in.

I spent the first few days in the apartment occasionally glancing out the blinds to look for movement from inside the house, as if I might catch the place off guard and seething of paranormal activity that would allow me to confirm, for once and for all, the folklore. Every night at dusk, like clockwork, the lights on the home come on lighting up the eerie looking fully furnished mansion. Despite it’s decrepit condition, at night the mansion looks like it actually might house someone, or something—adding to the allure of the mystery.

The day I met my first neighbor I patiently waited for a few minutes into the conversation before letting my intrigue bubble over in a flood of inquiry about the mansion.

“What do you know?” she quickly responded. “Well, I have heard a lot about it being…well ya know – if you believe in that sort of thing.” “Haunted?” she exclaimed. “Ya, I am pretty sure it is,” she said.

The neighbor then began to recount a story of another local tenant’s run-in with the chief governing spirit who supposedly occupies the home. According to the neighbor, one night the other neighbor’s dog wandered past the fence and onto the yard of the mansion. The girl hopped the fence, retrieved her dog, and headed back into her apartment across the street. Five minutes later there was a middle-aged man knocking at her door. As she opened the door to see what the man wanted he seemingly glided past her directly into her bedroom and sat on her bed. Stunned, and realizing the man was hardly real, the girl screamed and demanded to know what the man wanted with her. According to the story, a short conversation ensued between the girl and the man before the spirit vanished out the front door the same way he came. Apparently her crossing his fence gave him right to cross her front door.

Ok, I know—sounds a little far fetched right? Not totally believing the story, but also not any less convinced either, I set out to find out more. I called up the only friend I knew that had some legitimate knowledge of the paranormal and spirit world, past watching the occasional ghost hunters, and invited him out to have a look.

“It’s demonic,” he quickly snapped after three minutes of examining the place. “It’s definitely a place of demonic worship.” “Satin worshipers? Really? I just moved across the street from a devil-worshiping house,” I thought. Awesome. No wonder we got that half off the first month’s rent.

My friend went on to point out the four horns on the top of the house, the gargoyles, and the extravagantly placed add-on window baring some sort of glass window that had a cross on it. “They used the downstairs for worship and they lived upstairs,” he said.

“Doesn’t look like they use it for that anymore, but because they once did they have given spiritual authority over to spirits, allowing them to house the place in it’s abandon state.”

Between the online poltergeist pointed research, story of the middle-aged ghost pissed about the dog playing on his yard, and the obvious signs of Satanism pointed out by my resident ghost expert, I was quickly beginning to wonder just what I might have gotten myself into by moving across the street from this place. “You will be fine,” he said, “Just don’t go over there poking around and they won’t bother you…and if they do just ask them to leave politely.” Awesome, thanks for that. Guess it’s time to brush up on my ghost manners, I thought to myself.

A couple weeks later on a mid-week morning I was sitting out on my porch eating breakfast gawking at the place when I met the midtown block’s version of Yoda.  The older man slowly approached my stoop, hunched over, walking with cane firmly in hand, and quickly struck up a conversation about everything midtown. He started by sharing his stories of buying his house back when the whole H street block was a two-lane highway and the neighborhood was infested with crack houses. He followed that up with a short historical run down of the history of Boulevard Park and even threw in a complete background of the apartment home that I am living at.

“Finally,” I thought.  This was the guy who could settle the case of the midtown mansion once and for all.” “So what about the mansion across the street,” I slyly asked. “Well,” he began, “Everyone seems to think it’s haunted but to be honest with you, that’s all a bunch of bullshit.” According to Yoda, a rich, old Italian family has owned it for the past 30 years. The matriarch of the family lived and died in the mansion sometime in the late 80’s and her last request was that her family never was to sell her beloved home. So to pay homage to the matriarch, the family has refused to sell it but also has seemingly refused to do much else to the home past occasionally mowing the dead grass once a month.

“We hate the place,” Yoda continued, “We wish they would sell it—it’s dragging down the neighborhood.” Reeling as I watched my ghost conspiracy theory evaporate faster then the state’s budget, I made a last ditch effort at saving the idea of the haunted mansion by offering my demonic worship house & online research counter argument.

“Huh,” he mumbled lost in thought momentarily. “I guess those horns are a pretty strange add on, as is that window.” “A-ha! Conspiracy theory resuscitated,” I thought to myself. “I don’t know though,” Yoda went on. “Could be something, but kinda sounds like more bullshit from those ghosts conspiracists if you ask me.” In the words of Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar—“ACCESS DENIED!”

As I walked back to my apartment that morning, I felt as undecided as ever as to whether or not the mansion sitting across the street from my house was actually haunted. Yoda clearly proved he knew a thing or two about midtown, I mean the guy has lived across the street from the place for practically as long as I have been alive. If anyone would know if the place were haunted it would surely be Yoda, right? But, what if Yoda were simply a skeptic? He did strike me as a very logical guy, believing in science and reason, fully bought into the Western philosophy that seeing is believing. According to Yoda, he is yet to see, so why bother believing? So maybe there is still room for the idea of the mansion in fact being haunted. It’s hard to easily forget the online poltergeist tales, the Satan worshiping elements of the house, and the story of the girl, her dog, and the spirit.

As I ink this story months later, I remain in an uncomfortable position of undecided.

While I wish I might know for sure one way or another, for my own sanity, I have handed in my detective badge on this one. It sounds like the only way to know might be to hop the fence one night and start snooping around the property. But until I brush up on my ghost manners, I think I’m cool on having to escort a middle-aged spirit out of my house—for now at least.

He’s not exactly a “midtown hipster” although Armando Gonzalez has been called a “man about town.” A sports enthusiast that used to host a local sports television show, a lead singer of a somewhat popular 90′s cover band and a Marriage and Family Therapist working on his doctorate.

Oh my God, you guys!  I cannot believe that my birthday is coming up! Like, it’s almost already here!

I know it’s a couple of weeks away, but we should totally get the girls together and you can all buy me dinner to celebrate.  It will be so fun!  LOL!

I totally like seriously love my girls, but Stacy has been a real bitch lately.  I heard that she made out with this guy I used to be totally into and didn’t even tell me.  I mean, I never dated him and he never had any interest in me, but I still had dibs.  What a bitch, right?  Can you even believe her?  I mean, I’m not talking trash, because I really love her, but that was kind of messed up.

The actual birthday party is going to be like the greatest night of my life!  We’ll get the girls together and go out to like the best club ever.  OMG! You know what we should do?  We should totally pretend we’re cougars!  We should totally wear animal print tops!  LOL!  We’re so much better than older single ladies because we’re younger single ladies!  This is my most original idea ever!

When we get to the club, I will scream out, “Wooo!!!  Let’s do some shots!!” and we’ll let everyone around us know that it’s my birthday.  All the guys will realize that I deserve a lot of attention for my birthday and then they’ll buy us drinks.  They might make jokes about how they have an inappropriate present for me.  I’ll laugh loudly and touch their arms after they do this.

Maybe I will tell the guy I meet that I’m totally just like one of the guys and how I have so many guy friends who love me.  Like, I’ll tell him that I love watching football and playing poker, but when he tries to talk to me about sports or Texas Hold ‘Em, it will be clear that I have no clue.  Then he’ll tell me he has to run to the bathroom and never come back.  I’ll tell myself that he probably got lost on the way back.  It totally sucks because I was totally looking forward to talking to him about the nearest pro football team.  It’ll be okay because there will be tons of other hot guys there!

I’m sure all the guys will totally be blown away by our jokes like about how we’re going to be cougars some day, even though we won’t be.  Cougars are so old!  The guys will totally think we’re the coolest girls ever.  Who knows?  I might even find someone to be my boyfriend on my birthday.  That would be the best present ever!

Stacy will probably be really rude to me.  I’ll probably be totally talking to some guy, then he’ll leave and then she’ll start making out with him.  What a slut!  I’ll be pissed even though he clearly wanted nothing to do with me, but still, I talked to him first.  Stacy needs to respect girl code!

After Stacy makes out with that guy, I’ll call for another round of shots and get you guys to sing happy birthday to me in the bar to remind people that it’s my birthday and get more attention.  I’ll probably get upset that people don’t really care that it’s my birthday, so we’ll totally have another round of shots!  Tequila for my birthday!

I’ll be really drunk and I’ll start crying.  You guys will have to carry me outside to vomit and then you’ll take me home in a cab.  I’ll start out complaining about Stacy, but then I’ll start sobbing and talking about how nobody is ever going to marry me.  You’ll tell me everything is alright and that I’ll find someone and give me hugs. Once I get out of the cab, you’ll talk about how none of you like me.  You’ll agree that the only reason you hang around me is because I make you feel better about yourself.  You guys are my best friends!  Love you!

OMG!  This is going to be the best birthday ever!  Shots!

How often do you meet a Midtowner whose mother’s cousin’s wife works with you?  Or whose father’s best friend dated your mom back in high school?

Forget six degrees of separation.  In Midtown, it’s more like two degrees at best.

This is part of the reason we love it here and feel so connected to one another.  It’s not at all unheard of to stop in at a nearby restaurant, bar or art gallery and run into someone you know in some way, shape or form.  As great as it can be to feel like one big happy Midtown family most of the time, it can also make the dating world a bit challenging and interesting for single Midtown men and women.

I, like many single Midtowners, have been on my fair share of first dates.  Although not always successful they are always entertaining and I typically leave at the very least having a good story to share.  But when you live in a community of acquaintances and mutual friends you begin to realize how truly small the world is and it begs the question…in a close-knit community like Midtown, does one date become one too many?

We all have our favorite go-to locations in downtown/midtown.  So, let’s say hypothetically speaking, you go on multiple first dates with several different people at this go-to spot.  The bartender at this venue is a neighbor of your co-workers.  You can probably imagine where this could and probably will go.  Rumors start to fly that you’re either a one-date wonder or clearly having a very good time with numerous individuals and before you know it you’re in the middle of a real-life melodrama.

Another Midtown scenario you all too often hear about is meeting someone who seems to be your perfect match.  Halfway through the first date you’re sure the two of you are meant to be only to find out a week later this person was once hot and heavy with your best friend’s sister.  To top it off, they conveniently still live next door to one another in a cozy Midtown apartment.  Again, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see where this is heading.

Don’t fret.  Just because you love and live in Midtown doesn’t mean you’re doomed.  Dating is like anything else in life and if at first you don’t succeed try, try again.  In a world as intertwined as ours can be in Midtown it’s important to keep your mind and options open.  It may be a small world after all but there are still plenty of Midtown fish in the sea.

By Megan Shippam, SacMidtown.com

The Search for the Perfect Portrait

As my taste for art has evolved, I have begun to seek out the talented artists of Midtown in the search for the perfect portrait. During my search I came across the most beautiful, yet haunting piece I think I’ve laid eyes on.

Awhile back, it was displayed at Centro’s Cocina Mexicana and was affixed in a floating frame in the wall that separates the bar and seating area in the restaurant. The portrait of the “Catrina”, a Mexican Folklore icon, had such an eerie, yet incredibly strong magnetism to it. The piece demanded my attention, so I played Sherlock and investigated whom the owner was.

Enter Juan Raul Mejia, one of the brightest gems of Midtown, who is famous for blending multiple mediums like music, art and entertainment and creating videos of his work.

“I have a bleeding heart for all things living”

As I listened intently, Mejia gave me a glimpse of what it would be like as a surviving artist in Midtown. Very soft spoken by nature, but inherently philosophical in his views about life, art and the simple joy of appreciating beauty. I could see him light up as he mused about his life-long passion. Somehow Mejia is able to look at buildings, vacant spaces or even a hole in a wall (literally) and find a way to fill that space with something aesthetically pleasing.

Humble and a hard working, Mejia understands that money doesn’t grow on trees. As a kid, he was a natural entrepreneur, finding ways to turn his own profit and recruiting friends to start an informal art dealing business.

Mejia said he has been drawing ever since he can remember. His first passion was music and poetry, evolving into painting and video production. Melding art, music and film, he used to spin beats for a traveling art group, working on small canvases and recording his experiences (could you imagine if this was your job??). But Mejia’s passion expands far greater than his talents. “I have a bleeding heart for all things living,” he said after talking about his two stray pets that he rescued.

How Will You Leave Your Mark on the World?

“In Mexico, you never really die after you’re dead…as long as you are still remembered and talked about in some way. You will always live on.” said Mejia, explaining the tradition behind what “La Catrina” means to him.  For him personally, he wants to live on and leave his mark through his artwork. He shared that after a lot of soul-searching he felt he is destined to plant the seeds of art in the community and hopefully one day produce a forest that will he will be remembered by.

Mejia uses art as a way to provoke thought, create beauty and most importantly, share his legacy with the outside world. As Elizabeth Gilbert stated in Eat, Pray, Love, “In a world disorder and disaster and fraud, sometimes only beauty can be trusted. Only artistic excellence is incorruptible”

You can find Mejia’s artwork in many galleries around the Grid. However, as of recently he has had one major problem: he sold all of his art! A good problem to have by any artists’ standards, especially in this economy.

You still can catch some of his artwork at Spanglish Art, 905 23^rd Street, Midtown Sacramento.

http://www.shopspanglish.com/. For shows, contact Mejia at elpngwn@gmail.com.

To see more of Mejia’s work, check out the videos below.

• MADRE DE COLOR
• LIVE LOVE!
• DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

As Midtowners our dedication to all things local is unwavering and we can’t get enough of our home-grown restaurants, shops, parks and pubs.

Farmers’ markets are included in this list of local happenings that are often right up a Midtowner’s alley.  Farmers’ markets and Midtown go together like Ben & Jerry, PB & J, Ross and Rachel.

With summer right around the corner, your favorite farmers’ market is sure to re-surface at a location near you in the next couple weeks.

Midtown folks young and old can often be found perusing through the farmers’ market at 8^th and W streets under the freeway on Sunday mornings throughout the year.  Fresh produce, meats and flowers from local farmers/vendors line the parking lot right here in the heart of our city.

To add to our enjoyment this summer, two new farmers’ market locations have been added to the line up.  Look for one at East End Capitol Park (15^th and L streets) on Thursdays and another at St. Rose of Lima Park (7^th and K streets) on Fridays.  These two new spots will officially open in June, and like most of the farmers’ markets, will continue through the end of September/October.

With so many farmers’ markets popping up during the coming months there is no excuse to not support local!  Do your part and visit a farmers’ market near you!

By Becky Larson, SacMidtown.com

Now that the sun is finally out, Midtowners are looking for any excuse to get out and celebrate the first few days of summer sun. Some of you might be thinking the best way to enjoy the weather is a day out on the green. But imagine if there was a way to get your golf on and enjoy several rounds of drinks all in the name of charity right here in your own Midtown backyard. It would be a pretty perfect way to enjoy a warm, sunny day.

Lucky for you, that’s what the 2^nd Annual Albie Puttin’ Pub Crawl is all about and it’s set for Saturday, June 25 starting bright and early with registration beginning at 10 a.m. at the 15^th and K streets parking lot!

The Pub Crawl raises money for the Albie Carson Breast Cancer Foundation created in memory of Albie Carson, a well-known 50-year resident of Sacramento who passed away from breast cancer in 2002. All proceeds go toward helping the Sacramento community be more aware of cancer prevention methods, the diagnostic testing available to determine the best treatment options and providing financial assistance to patients when tests aren’t covered by insurance providers.

The Pub Crawl festivities officially kickoff at 11:00 am with an organized bar “golf course” and a shotgun start. Crawlers are then off and running to Midtown hot spots including deVere’s Irish Pub, Capital Garage, Torch Club, Streets of London, Lounge on 20 and many more. If you’re tough enough to finish the entire “golf course” you could be eligible for great raffle prizes from local bars and restaurants. Bust out your golf gear while you’re at it. Prizes are also available for Midtowners with the most creative costumes and the best “golf” score.

If you’re still standing at the end, join the After Party from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the K street parking lot with a performance by the band, All Fired Up! Tickets are $25.00 to participate and $10.00 for the After Party only. I’m no golfer but I’m pretty sure that’s cheaper than any day out on the golf course. You can register at any of the participating bars or visit http://albieputtin-auto.eventbrite.com/.

As much as I love channeling my inner Giada de Laurentiis and preparing gourmet meals, sometimes, I just need a break. After a long day at the office, or even if I’m just feeling lazy and don’t have an excuse, there are times when I guiltlessly allow myself to buy quality convenience.

Luckily for me, my gourmet takeout options on my way home from work are in abundance. My short commute from downtown to my home in East Sac takes me directly through the hub of Sacramento’s finest eateries, which is one of the many reasons why I love where I live.

Centros patio

Below is my personal guide on what I believe to be the best takeout options for Midtown and East Sac dwellers. It’s time to relax and pick-up some delicious takeout, pour yourself a glass of wine and relax in front of the TV – without feeling bad about it.

Midtown
Centro Cocina Mexicana at 28th and J
Hot Italian at 16th and Q (take advantage of their curbside pick-up)
Jack’s Urban Eats at 20th and Capitol
Ink Eats & Drinks at 27th and N
Paesanos at 18th and Capitol

East Sac
Good Eats at 31st and Folsom
One Speed at 48th and Folsom
33rd St. Bistro at 33rd and Folsom
Sellands Market Café at 53rd and H (take advantage of their weekly dinner and wine specials)

How many times have you been in a situation where you thought, “Wow, this is a little awkward”?

It’s probably safe to say we’ve all been there – you know, those weird and uncomfortable moments with a perfect stranger where you don’t know what to say or how to act. Awkward silences are the worst!

This week, I experienced an awkwardly silent moment in the steam room of Downtown 24 Hour Fitness. As I was sharing the steam room with a fellow gym-goer, I couldn’t help but think to myself how awkward it was to sit in complete silence with someone I don’t know, while in nothing more than my TYR swimsuit. Listening to Mr. Mouth-Breather inhale and exhale the scent of eucalyptus combined with sweat prompted me to come up with a list of situations where silence can be deafening.

Top Awkward Situations:

1. Being in an elevator. You enter the elevator and give the other person a courtesy half smile.  You then proceed to either look down at the ground or up at the floor numbers until someone finally exits.

2. Standing in the restroom line. I’m specifically referring to those instances where you’re waiting in line with one other person for a single-stall restroom. As if the silence was bad enough, you’re both standing in front of the mirror avoiding eye contact with each other by looking down at the floor tile or fixing your hair.

3. Sharing a chair lift. You hop onto a chair with a stranger, and you soon realize the other person took “your side” of the chair. This is the side you feel most comfortable pushing off from without doing a face plant in front of the chair lift operators. It’s awkwardly silent all the way up, so you pretend to kick the snow off your ski/snowboard or look down at everyone else shredding the mountain.

4. The steam room at the gym. You walk into a steamy room and for a split second you have to decide if you’re sitting on the tile bench everyone else has been sitting on, or if you’re going to stand in the corner. Once you’ve positioned yourself, the only thing you can really do in this situation is pretend to look at your watch every so often or just close your eyes.

5. Passing the same person down every aisle at Costco. This happens more often than not since most shoppers at Costco want to stroll down every single aisle post-freezer section until they hit the cash register. You run into the same person in every aisle and after the second time of doing so, you start picking up the pace in order to beat them to the next aisle.

6. Walking through crosswalks. Cars are lined up at the stoplight, and you know everyone is staring at you.  You’re basically center stage, and there’s not much you can do but to walk briskly to the other side of the street.

Awkward situations happen all the time, but it’s such a short amount of time out of our daily lives that it’s not really worth stressing over. If you ever find yourself in similar situations, just find humor in them. Better yet, pretend you’re Peter from The Family Guy and say in a high-pitched voice, “Awkward!”

What are some awkward situations you’ve been in?