Weird Stuff

Please try to picture the following scene. Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in Times Square. Seven high school students of the alternative nature huddled together trying to determine if they should spend $24 to experience the sites within the museum. Customer service agent trying to convince students to spend this money saying, "If you like weird stuff, and I can tell by the look of you that you do, this is the museum for you."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I chaperoned these seven students for roughly eight hours on Tuesday as part of a high school's trip to NYC for the day to see Wicked. I can't even creatively conjure up any fabrication of this actual experience; I promise that what I describe to you here is in reality what actually did transpire. Here's how the day progressed.

A female sophomore seemed to emerge as the group's leader and decision-maker from the start, as she was the one with a plan for lunch. We arrived in the city around 11am so lunch seemed like a good first thing to do. She said, "There's a fairly cheap BBQ place that's not far from a really cool candy store we want to go to." So off we went. We walked a good hour, so I'm guessing at least 2 miles to happen upon Dallas BBQ on the corner of 70th and 3rd Ave. It took us a little longer than it should have because of the one group member that I refer to as the Slow Walker. As you can imagine, he puttered about on this walk, casually shuffling his feet at an incredibly slow pace. Every time we crossed a street, I had to ensure he actually made it and wasn't stuck in traffic.

The students were pretty stoked about eating at this BBQ joint, as they proceeded to sample a variety of southern fried chicken, ribs and pork. I was obviously disappointed as I spent the past 3.5 years eating these foods in Memphis and I was hoping for some good Italian or Thai or basically anything other than pulled pork. The kids win, you know? It was a decent sandwich even though the flavor of this BBQ was Carolina in nature. I'm still not sure why it was called Dallas BBQ.

Anyway, from there we walked back about a mile to Dylan's Candy Bar, which was actually quite interesting. I mean, it's not every day you can buy a Wonka Bar or some old-fashioned rock candy from a three-story candy store. However, at this point, I was starting to wonder just what these kids thought about NYC as a whole. BBQ and candy as top priorities for a day in NYC? Weird stuff.

At this point, the group was torn on going to explore Times Square or China Town. I really wasn't interested in taking this group to China Town because I wasn't sure they could handle it. One of the females remembered there was a Hello Kitty store in Times Square, so that seemed to be the next biggest priority. Like I said, weird stuff. We hopped on the subway and landed on 42nd St. To my sight, one of the first places I noticed was another Dallas BBQ. Glad we took the two-mile hike to a place that was five blocks from where the bus dropped us off. Goooood times.

As a side note, I don't really "get" Hello Kitty. This girl did, though, as she dropped a good 25 bucks on a hat while her friend dropped a good 15 bucks on a key wallet.

From here the decision was either to visit Madamde Taussade's Wax Museum or Ripley's Believe It or Not. As you may have already figured out via foreshadowing, the wax museum proved too expensive and the weirdness prevailed. I can't even really put to words my experience in Ripley's. It really is a strange place, comprised of strange things, like shrunken heads and exotic neck stretchers and outdated torture devices and a mural made out of 70,000 stamps and a picture made out of dryer lint. The students seemed to most enjoy the "black hole" experience; a room that spins and when you walk through it, it gives you the sensation you're the one spinning and what not. They spent a good 30 minutes here; I looked at some x-rays of weird objects people had swallowed, like a 10-inch long knife.

After this enlightening experience, we bounded through Time Square and surrounding areas looking in shops and such. These students seemed most attracted to the flea market type stores with their cheap souvenirs. We did make one pit stop in a beauty supply store so the group leader could purchase two white styrafoam heads. Yes, you read that correctly. Heads of styrafoam. She proceeded to give them names and personalities as she carried them around for the next three hours. At this point, I wasn't sure I was going to make the rest of the day.

After this weird stop, I wondered what they had planned for dinner, and I felt this was a good time to know since if we were going to sit down at a restaurant, we probably needed to do so soon. To my displeasure, I was informed that dinner was not in the plans. Apparently, the candy they purchased earlier was all they needed to get through the day. At this point, I was quite perturbed as I knew I would be starving come show-time. Unfortunately, I didn't feel I could make a point to eat myself, particularly when I realized most of them had blown all of their money on cheap souvenirs and Hello Kitty gear. I couldn't possibly eat in front of them so I had to suck it up for the remainder of the evening. We spent the rest of our time before the show further exploring the ridiculous stores in Times Square. Oh, and a few of them stopped for frozen custard. Again I was wondering what these kids think of NYC as a whole?

At this time, I was starting to feel that my patience was running out, so I drug them to the theater a little early so they could get to their seats early. I had to stay in the lobby and wait for another teacher's group because I had their tickets. This at least gave me 30 minutes to myself to try to comprehend what they hell I just experienced over the past seven hours.

On a brighter note, Wicked was absolutely amazing and I am glad I did get to see it at a discounted rate. It was hard to focus at times, though, because when you're seated in a theater surrounded by teenie-boppers, you have the pleasure of listening to them whisper to each other or send text messages every 5.8 seconds. The youth of America, clearly a delight.

It was a wickedly weird day for me. I hope for the chance to go to NYC again soon so I can have a normal experience of shopping, dining, and real sites.

Fashionable

I don't consider myself fashionable and I probably never will. The fact of the matter is it's too much work, in my opinion, to keep up with the latest fashion and most of the time, I wouldn't be caught dead in what's fashionable (probably because fashion is designed for 5'8'' skinny girls and clearly, that's not me). I also prefer sweatpants and a t-shirt to anything else and when appropriate, why not be comfortable?

I noticed lately that a big fad on the college campus right now is the black spandex with Ugg boots combo. I'm glad I'm not a college student anymore. I'm also glad I don't follow the trends because I wouldn't be caught dead in the spandex. Uggs, sure, if I wasn't unemployed and could afford them. But spandex? Not a chance.

Like I said earlier, it's time to join the gym.

Hobbies & Health

I read an article in the local paper last week about people who are unemployed because they recently lost their jobs. The article mainly discussed how while these individuals are feeling some pressure about not having employment, they have focused their energy into other areas of their lives, like spending more time with family, getting in shape, or taking up new hobbies and interests.

While my situation is somewhat different as I chose to leave my full-time job and am currently choosing to only work part-time, my current situation has given me the opportunity to refocus some of my energy. It has been wonderful to be home for two months. I wasn't quite sure originally that I would feel this way, but I do. I have come to truly appreciate the time I am able to spend with my family. It's nice to be able to get together for things like scrapbooking or game day or a random meal on a weeknight; these small things I think I took somewhat for granted over the past few years and I am trying to not lose sight of that again.

It has also been nice to reconnect with some old friends in the area. I have come to really enjoy trivia nights on Mondays and gathering at the local restaurants over the weekend. It's nice to see familiar faces and relive some old memories and share some laughs in this way.

While I haven't technically taken up any new hobbies, I do focus some energy into my new weekly gatherings for trivia, scrapbooking, and gameday. I don't think the time I've invested into watching Lost can be considered a hobby; rather, sadly, I think it's just an obsession that seeps into my life every week. The only piece missing for me right now is trying to focus more on my health. I don't think I'm necessarily unhealthy, but I am definitely not in the shape I'd like to be in physically and I'm going to challenge myself to do that. I guess it's time to finally join the gym!

Health Class

On Friday, I had the privilege of substitute teaching for a health class. It was really a delightful experience. Every student who walked into the classroom made a point to say to me, "We don't ever do anything in this class" so I would know not to actually challenge their young impressionable minds. Thankfully, the teacher left some videos on his desk, so I made the students watch the videos.

During the first 11th grade class, I showed a video on addiction; it was somewhat a case study about an adolescent girl's battle with drug addiction. It seemed quite real, particularly her emotions, as she repeatedly used the f-word when lashing out to her mother.

Whoops! I had to pretend I didn't hear the use of the f-word; I mean, I would assume it's inappropriate to use this in a high school class so I pretended it didn't happen.

As the day progressed, the students made a point to tell me they have seen all of the other videos I wanted to show; whether they were lying or not, I didn't actually care. I spent half of the day with these students doing nothing. It seemed like a total waste, but I sure as hell wasn't going to attempt to teach them anything related to health.

Some friends said to me at the end of the day, "Easiest 80 bucks you've ever made, huh?"

Yeah, something like that. Or the biggest waste of my time. Or the longest 7 hours of my life. Days really drag when there's nothing to do. I still am not quite sure why they even brought me in to sub. It seems to me these students would have been better served sitting in study hall during the day, doing nothing. Glorified baby-sitting at its finest. Like I said, delightful.

Lights Out

Last night, I sat down to watch some news with Charlie Gibson, and a few minutes later, the power went out. First I thought it was just my parents' house and I immediately thought, "Crap. I'm the only one home and I have no idea where a flashlight is, where the candles are, or where the fusebox is." I got up and went to the window, though, and noticed it wasn't just our house, but at least our entire part of town; we had a windy day so I figured there was some power line damage. Thankfully, my mom came home a few minutes later and found the flashlight and lit some candles.

After an hour or so of sitting and staring at the wall, I was starting to get antsy. I called my aunt in the neighboring town and asked if I could come over to watch some tube. You see, Survivor was set to premiere at 8pm and I couldn't take any chances of missing it - you know how much I love Survivor. My aunt was so gracious to allow me to hang out at her place, despite the fact she doesn't typically watch Survivor.

Thankfully, the power didn't remain out much later than 8pm in our part of town. This was good because I would have hated to think about having to bunk up elsewhere for the night. It's just a big inconvenience when that happens. And it's pretty creepy to see a large part of town so dark. I don't know how people lived without electricity.

Pearls of Wisdom

Over the weekend, I attended an alumni event at Bucknell. I didn't have anything else to do so I figured it would be a chance to reconnect with some people I used to work with who I don't get to see much while I'm there for my part-time job. I wasn't sure I'd see any fellow alumni that I knew, but I'm beyond the point in my life where I need a group involved to go out and do something.

One of the receptions I attended includes some current students. After catching up with some staff members I know, one of them encouraged me to talk with some current students. He said, "Let them pick your brain, Carol. Share your pearls of wisdom."

I immediately laughed. My response was: "Dan, these students don't want to talk to me. They don't want to hear what I have to say. I'm not a Bucknell success story. I'm five years out from graduation, I'm unemployed, and I live with my parents. They don't want to hear that; they want to hear how great life is with a Bucknell degree."

I, of course, find this amusing. This is how I get myself through my current situation. I find ways to laugh about it. If I can laugh, it can't be all that bad, you know?

The truth of the matter is that it really isn't bad at all. Like I've said before, I feel good about my decisions and my choices to take this temporary rest at home. I don't really feel like a failure, but there is sometimes a sense that because I have a Bucknell degree, I should be doing something astonishing with my life. That's what some people think. That's the pressure I sometimes feel as a Bucknell alum.

The way I see it now, though, is that if you're not happy with your life and you're in a position to make some changes so that you can improve your happiness, then you owe it to yourself to take those steps. That's what I've tried to do. Sure, I haven't figured out all of the details yet, but I'm pretty positive I'm on my way to putting the pieces together. Once that happens, then I'll gladly tell Bucknell students how great life is with a Bucknell degree. Until then, though, I'll keep my pearls of wisdom to myself.

Who's miserable?

According to a recent forbes.com article my former home of Memphis, TN, is the country's second most miserable city; the article cites reasons like violent crime and unemployment.

My rationale for agreement would include the city's ability to suck the life out of you, one day at a time. At least that's how I sometimes felt. I'm glad I'm no longer a Memphis citizen.

Illinois Ave.

My aunt: "Do you have Monopoly?"
Carol: "The board game?"
My aunt: "Yes."
Carol: "I'm sure it's in the attic somewhere."
My aunt: "Good. Get it and get over here."
Carol: " Ummmm, ok."

I enlisted my dad to help me execute the search for the Monopoly board game. I couldn't recall the last time I actually saw the board game. I mean, 1992 was quite some time ago. But we were able to locate it. Magically, it was only missing a few title deeds to those lame purple properties like St. Charles Place. Nothing a few index cards couldn't fix.

I scurried to my aunt's house where she and cousin Jen were "anxiously" awaiting my arrival. Apparently, I'm not the only one with "nothing better to do." I guess it's better to sit on a chair and play a board game for a few hours on a Sunday than to sit on a couch and stare at a television all afternoon. I got to be the banker. Shocker.

I tried to recall a strategy for being successful at a game of Monopoly, but then it dawned on me that I'm not sure I ever actually finished an entire game when I was a child. It can be a looooong game, you know? I wasn't sure that my friend Sarah and I ever actually finished a game. I apparently played with Sarah a great deal as a child because the names "Carol" and "Sarah" were written on the backs of some of the 100 and 500 dollar bills in funky crayon colors. I don't remember having a friend named Kimber but her name was noted a few times also. After thinking this was a strange occurrence, we started the game.

I moved my "hat" game piece around the board while my aunt's "dog" and Jen's "thimble" did the same. Such a weird idea, now that I think of it.

Per usual, we spent the first few trips around the board buying properties and such. It was evident from the get-go that Jen and I were somewhat picky about the properties we bought while my aunt bought anything possible. Jen was fortunate to land both utilities while my aunt had her stake in the majority of the railroads. I always try for the properties between the second and fourth railroad; my aunt landed all three red properties right in the middle of where I wanted to be, though, and this would prove problematic to my game.

Over time, Jen struggled to really get her money into any substantial properties. She also struggled in collecting any money to advance her game. If you recall, you collect $200 after passing "Go." In an unprecedented four trips in a row, Jen landed on that space where you pay tax or $200 after passing "Go", so she never got to utilize any of that money to her advantage. I swear those were some really strange odds. She actually welcomed a trip to jail because she couldn't lose any money.

I tried to play an even-keel game, but it took me quite some time to earn the necessary properties and make a go of anything.

My aunt, on the other hand, was out for blood from the start. As I noted, she bought up every property she could. She was the first to purchase houses and eventually hotels. At one point, she had 5 hotels and 10 houses on 13 different properties. Jen was first to fall victim to this dominance, when she stumbled upon Illinois Ave for the first time. It was then we remembered that you could mortgage property to get money back from the bank. This was only a temporary solution and it was only a matter of time before Jen was out of the game.

Over time, my aunt's dominance continued. Illinois Ave proved problematic for me as well. This was evident when I landed on a "Chance" square which also sent me right to Illinois Ave. It was then that I had to pay up my first installment of $1100 in rent. This took my bank down to a mere $24. But there was hope that I could fight on and still give my aunt a run for her money.

The only potential reprieve for me came when my aunt had to pay tax on all her properties due to one of those "Community Chest" cards. She forked over a large sum of money to the "Free Parking" space. There was hope again that I could land this cash and continue on.

Not so much. My aunt mopped up that cash shortly after.

Sadly, I landed on neighboring Indiana Ave, and had to face my aunt's wrath once again. I think this was the point I called her a "property whore" or dropped an f-bomb. This was a new element to playing Monopoly, as I don't remember Sarah or I ever cursing at our misfortunes when we were younger.

In all her glory, my aunt destroyed every last property I owned and took me for every last dollar. Who knew Monopoly could be so fun? My aunt apparently did because she rubbed it in my face. I'm still trying to remember if the game was fun as a child, you know, when you quit when you were ahead.

No, seriously, it actually was fun. But definitely more fun for my aunt. It's much more fun to win, right?

I guess that's something.

I haven't blogged much as of late, mostly because I haven't felt like much of what I've been thinking has been worthwhile to share with others. I guess I've spent some time in some sort of funk. To understand, let me catch you up on the past week or so of my life.

I started working about two weeks ago, back at Bucknell. I'm just doing some part time work in their career center. They've invited me on staff basically to help students in one-on-one appointments with a variety of things. Mostly I've helped students with resumes and cover letters. A few times, I've talked students through how to do an internship search. There's a few other types of meetings I can have with students and I'm sure those will filter in soon. It's good work, I guess, for the time being. You would think that helping students with things like resumes and searches would be somewhat inspiring to me, like motivation to get myself in gear and start answering that question of "What am I going to do with my life?" But sadly, I haven't been inspired. I keep thinking that a lot of the things I'd like to get paid to do are areas in which I lack any real experience. And I'm just not ready to figure out how to break through some of these walls. So I haven't made any progress for myself. I have earned a pay check, so I guess that's something.

I went to trivia last Monday, as I've been doing from time to time with some friends. Finally, my team actually won, despite some drama in the final round. You would think this would give me some sense of accomplishment. For being part of the team, maybe. But if I were answering those questions on my own, I wouldn't have a chance. So I'm not sure if I feel good about the victory or pathetic that I don't know much about anything really. It is nice to be a part of a team, so I guess that's something too.

I spent the last four days in bed, with a sinus infection. My mom said it was okay to spend Sunday sick in bed because there was a House marathon on television. Right, like there aren't a million other things I'd rather be doing than being on my death bed watching House. I think this would have only been enjoyable if House had magically come to life in my living room and shot me up with some magic drug that instantly cured what is bound to take the next 7-10 days to filter out of my body. I hate being sick. I really really don't do well with this process. I hate feeling weak. I hate pain that won't go away. It absolutely sucks and I don't deal with it well at all. Once I feel weak, I start to feel miserable. And it was worse this time. All I kept thinking was, "Would I get this sick in a warmer climate?" And then that leads me to hate being in the land of winter, which then reminds me that I'm not where I want to be, and then I get overwhelmed that, like I said earlier, I haven't made any progress figuring out what I want to do with myself. This is a vicious cycle, and it beat me up pretty good over the past few days. Needless to say, I think it's going to take quite some time for me to get back to my 100%. I guess that's a daunting something.

I did watch some more of Lost, I'm almost done with season three. If you know how many episodes there are in the first three seasons, then you are already aware of how asbolutely pathetic it is that I have watched this much television in the last few weeks. But I can't help myself. It's an addicting show. And it's set on an island, and I want to be on an island. It gives me a chance to ponder moving to a warmer climate and living life as a beach bum. That's the possible something I hold on to, a future on a beach.

So these are some of the things keeping me in this strange funk, I guess. Not to mention that today is Groundhog's Day and that stupid rodent saw its damn shadow. This ridiculous tradition of course means there's more winter to come, which is already apparent as it's snowing again. Lovely. I just love every minute of it.