a look back at 2010

This was probably the greatest year (so far) of my life. Going back through some memories the past few days this past year has been nothing short of an adventure. It has also reminded me that I have so many great things to be thankful for.

2010 started with a hobby that I have just picked up this year: ice skating. At the Depot in Minneapolis is where I brought in the new year. That night also included the science museum which is one of my favorite places as well. It's funny that I had barely been ice skating before this year, now that I'm away from the snow covered state of Wisconsin, I've probably been skating more times in 2010 than the rest of my life put together.

NFA. No photographic evidence of HFO.

2010 was my senior year in college, and also the last opportunity I had to do forensics competitively. I couldn't have asked for a better turnout. There were lots of incredible moments in forensics in 2010, but I think my fondest memory was HFO in January. It's a tournament I had never done well at in the past, and always seemed like the pro bowl for forensics. Individuals who have big names and talent always seem to do well there, and to see so many of my teammates do well at that tournament and scoring a fifth place trophy was incredible. Something just clicked that weekend, I broke 4 of my 5 events to finals (including impromptu, as much as Karen Morris will deny it) and was able to share the stage with Dylan Jambrek getting 1st and 2nd in Persuasion. 2010 had other forensic accomplishments, I finally realized my long term goal of a national final, and IOC was incredible as well, but there was something about HFO that I'll never forget. It was walking between finals, UT-Austin's campus was quiet, it was 70 degrees in January and the sun was going down over the capital building. Whenever I think of that memory I always smile. It's a good one.

I'm slowly realizing that writing a blog about how awesome the past year was makes me sound pretty conceited, but I'm not writing this to brag, I'm writing it to remember and celebrate how fortunate I've been in 2010.

Mean Streak, the coaster I worked on.

I graduated college in four years. That was pretty cool too. The ceremony was hot and long and all I can remember is live tweeting to pass the time and giving a dumb grin to the camera company that was trying to pinch me for more money (as if I hadn't given the University enough money in 4 years!) After the ceremony and incredible grad party I packed the car and drove to Sandusky, Ohio for one last adventure before joining the real world. I was there for 3 weeks, but looking back it was a pretty positive learning experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I rode so many roller coasters in those three weeks, and that was pretty damn cool. I also finally got to see what an amusement park employee does and how everything works behind the scenes. I also learned how not to treat employees (and how to as well) and what makes a good respectable manager. Most importantly, I made a few friends that I wouldn't trade for anything. Not many of you know some of the people I met in my short time in Sandusky, but I really wouldn't trade that time for anything. I went back to Ohio for a couple days at the end of summer to meet up with those friends. The worst part of Cedar Point was the way they treated their employees. If I was 17, I don't think I would have had any problems with how things worked, but being 22 I think I have the right to have friends overnight where I live, or be able to have a bottle of wine. The rules given to employees and their personal lives was ridiculous, which is why when I went back to visit I had to climb under a fence (destroying a woot shirt and giving me bear attack like scars on my back in the process) just to stay the night in a friend's room.

I went home to work at West Allis Memorial Hospital in the OR. I met two of the greatest people in the process. Both Tony and Jamie were in their 40s and had families, and they taught me more about life than I ever could have ever expected. I learned about politics in the work place, how to deal with drama, and that if my dreams ever wear out becoming a medical equipment salesman is a very lucrative position to have. I also got to reconnect with Sam Simonson, a great friend from high school and college. I went out with him and his friends quite a few times over the summer, and explored his apartment complexes pool a few more times than I expected to.

Perhaps the most important thing to happen in 2010 was the call I got in early August. I remember being at work ordering medical equipment when I saw my phone buzz with an unfamiliar number. Right before I was able to answer, the phone went black and I missed the call. 5 Seconds later I realized the call was from England, and it was the call I had been waiting for over 6 months to receive. About 30 minutes later the same number called back, and after a 5 minute conversation I was employed with a real job. Tony was in the room when I took the call, and he knew right away. He had been encouraging me the entire summer with this job opportunity, and he instantly chest bumped me when I hung up the phone.

Ferris Wheel at Chessington World of Adventure

Now I'm working for the second largest amusement company in the world next to Disney. Every six months I change locations and have been working in Times Square since September. Looking back a year from now I could have never seen any of this coming. 2010 was a year of extreme change for me, a year that will no doubt be remembered as one giant adventure. Leaving one part of my life and starting a brand new one. Accomplishing numerous goals while setting even more difficult ones in the future. Meeting loads of new people from different parts of the world and learning what it means to live in the real world by jumping straight into the largest city in the United States. Things haven't always been easy, and they shouldn't be. The world isn't the nicest place to live in sometimes, but it allows us to make mistakes a learn from them. It allows us to appreciate the things we do have and the things we do accomplish.

I will never forget 2010.

El Toro Rocks.

Oh, and probably the most important thing about this past year. I added 30 new roller coasters to my count, including my first international coasters. I've added loads of new coasters to my Top 10, including a brand new #1 wooden coaster, El Toro. There was a topic in a coaster dork forum I post in about 2010 coasters. Here was my response:

First Park of 2010: Valleyfair
First Coaster: High Roller
Last Park of 2010: Six Flags New England
Last Coaster: Bizzaro
Best new to me Coasters of 2010: El Toro and Bizarro
Worst Coaster: Mind Eraser (SFNE)



With that said. Bring on 2011.

Washington DC

The nation's capital is one of my favorite places to visit. There is incredible architecture, history, and museums, and best of all, its almost all free. Finally, a great way to put those hard earned tax dollars to work: a free vacation.

The plan was to drive down to the district, but after realizing that taking a bus takes just as long but ends up being thirty bucks cheaper than gas (plus you can sleep the whole way) and that DC has a Metro system anyway, it was off to Port Authority, then Union Station to be picked up by the lovely Jake Johnson. After getting back to his place, Kayla greeted us all (Jake, Natalie, and their roommate Jordan) with mulled wine. I had never had mulled wine before, but it was delicious. We stayed up all night chatting. Great to see them again, they are a ton of fun.

The next morning we headed into the city and went straight for the Smithsonian American History Museum. I hadn't been to this museum in ages, and I was really looking forward to it. I had been to Philadelphia earlier this fall, so I got a good amount of American history there, but this museum trumps all. We probably spent the most amount of time (like an hour and a half) in the war section of the museum. There was a ton of George Washington's property and other Revolutionary War equipment that had been saved and placed into the museum. I love looking at an item that was owned by someone who has gone from being a hero to a legend. Looking at his camp chest and stool that were worn out with use made him seem more real and less legendary. It somehow makes the story seem more tangible, which it what I love about history.

My biggest complaint about the war section of the American History Museum: I spent a good 20 minutes looking into each major war because the sections were so large, but when I got to the section on World War One, the great war, the war to end all wars, there was one window display with stuff. The Great White Fleet got a small mention, and there was a figure with a gas mask. I realize that WWI was ugly, but I would hope for that section to get a big revamp in the future.

After the museum I got a call from my awesome cousin Caity who lives in northern Virginia. I hopped in the Metro and she picked me up and took me out for one of the tastiest sub sandwiches I've ever had. I wish I remember the name of the place we went. So good. We went back to her house and waited for the rest of the family to get back. My cousin Kellen got back first, showed me that she got Caity a crowbar for christmas (to fend off zombies of course, Kellen is awesome) and we promptly started playing Left for Dead 2. After killing zombies for awhile my Aunt and Uncle got back to the house along with my cousin Keegan. I love this family so much because even though I only get to see them every couple of years, we have the greatest time together no matter what. We always pick up right where we left off (in this case, it was Super Monkey Ball 2) and it was really hard to leave after dinner that night. I'm sure the pumpkin cake and homemade meal probably had something to do with that, but I love them.

I met back up with the gang and we went to the Big Pencil, or the Washington Monument, whatever you wanna call it. Being able to touch the 150 year old granite on the base of the monument is pretty incredible. Also, being the only ones there at 9PM was also pretty cool. We also headed down to the White House, checked out the christmas tree (which looked fake), and the giant White House train sets. Guess which was my favorite?

I learned a really important lesson after that. I had been getting over a cold that came back after I didn't take care of myself during a cold. Turns out spending 4 hours in freezing temps wasn't the greatest idea. The next day I didn't feel great, and when I got home to Jake and Kayla's I literally crashed. Fever, chills, no energy. They had a great night and I tried to as well, but I don't even remember most of that night. So sick. Sunday we went to Madame Tussauds and had some Fro Yo. It was really interesting to see another Madame Tussauds after working in one for the past few months. There were parts of the attraction I loved, and others I didn't so much. The Frozen Yogurt was delicious, but perhaps way too sugary.

Other than falling victim to a virus for a third time in a month, my trip to DC was absolutely wonderful. While I got to see a bunch of monuments and American history, nothing could compare to just sitting around and chatting with my friends and family. It was something that I took for granted for a long time back home, but being out here makes those moments all the more special.

Especially with the holidays right around the corner. I worked both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but Skyped with my family both days. My next blog will explain what I treated myself with on Christmas. It was impromptu, and amazing.

SNOWPACALYPSE

Coming from Wisconsin, I've been through a fair share of snowstorms, but this storm I'm viewing from my window is pretty epic. Visibility from the tenth floor is maybe 200 yards, I'm hearing sirens more often than normal, and wind is literally forcing its way into my apartment. The wind is coming in near 25-30mph, which is causing some serious drifts outside the apartment. Half the grass is uncovered, while the other half has over 2 feet on it.

Times Square, early snowmagedden

Something I've noticed: snow creates this unusual quiet and calm. Even with the wind blowing so hard here, the snow quiets the sound of the tires on the pavement, and less drivers means less noise. People aren't driving like idiots either, which helps with the honking.

Mass transit goes crazy with a storm like this. NJTransit announced delays before the snow even started coming down this afternoon, and my train home seemed to go very slowly. I can't say I know very much about how trains can operate in the snow, but I know that regional trains between Boston and Washington DC were either canceled or delayed by nearly two hours. I had nearly an hour to kill at Penn Station, but luckily the Packer game was on at the bar, and the stranded Giants fans were way too much fun to talk to while I was waiting. Armed with my Packers fleece and iPhone (to check into Snowpalalypse on Foursquare of course, unlocking the "epic swarm" badge) I did what any good Packer fan would do in a bar of the enemy. I gloated on every Packers score. Man it felt good to watch the Pack show up in a big way during a big game. It's what you like to see.

The view.

Now I'm pretty much stranded inside my apartment. It's not supposed to stop snowing for another day or so, and I sure am hoping that trains are in good condition in the morning, because without them I'm not sure how I would get into the city for work in the morning. Madame Tussauds apparently has an "always open" policy. I'm not going to swim over the Hudson, but I'll get there somehow.

At this moment, I'd like to apologize for really ignoring this blog as of late. The holidays catch up on anyone, and I haven't had much time to blog. Just know that I've got a big entry on Washington DC and Pee Wee Herman. Yes, I said Pee Wee Herman. I know you're excited. You have good reason to be.

Pray my apartment building stands the night. I wanna go sledding.

i can't do a triple axel

New York is a really, really expensive city to live in. Rent is outrageous, food is pricey, and entertainment blows half a paycheck. Luckily New York has one gem that doesn't cost a dime if you have a pair of ice skates.

The Pond at Bryant Park (42nd and 6th) offers a free ice rink along with free lockers (you provide the lock) all winter long. I love it. I can't stop going. There is something about skating outdoors among giant buildings to Christmas Music that is so appealing to me. When I heard the rink was literally 2 blocks away from my work, I went to Modells and bought some skates. I figured if I went three times I would pay off the skates compared to rentals. It's December 8th, and I've already paid them off more than twice.

Welcome to The Pond

Mind you, I'm not the greatest skater known to man, and there are plenty of people who go to this rink just to show off to their friends and girls, but I've gotten much better than I was in early November. I can now skate with a crossover on the curves, and I've been working on turning around and going backwards. That normally results in me landing on my ass, but whatever. By the end of winter I really hope to be able to go from a forward skate motion to a backwards one without stopping. Just keep falling and learning, which is why gloves are the most important piece of clothing to wear throughout this activity. It was a pretty cool experience to skate with KJ and my Mom when they visited in early November in just a sweatshirt in the 50 degree weather. Very odd. Now a coat and scarf are pretty important.

Tonight I actually got tackled by a girl as she was falling. Instead of grabbing for the wall right next to her, she decided to go for me instead. I felt like a 6th grade running back, it was poor form, but she still made me fall down.

Ice Skating in other places around the city is pretty ridiculous. I really want to skate at Rockefeller before I leave, but its 20 bucks even if you have your own skates. I get that its an experience I'm paying for, but thats steep. Luckily the ice is never that crowded because of the prices. Central Park operates an ice rink owned by Donald Trump. It's price isn't too crazy, near the 10 dollar range for a bigger rink than both Rockefeller and The Pond. While the rink at Rockefeller may seem big on TV, its actually very tiny. It's also crawling with tourists because of the Tree, which is quite lovely. The Pond is full of locals (probably because its free) but also can get really crowded on the weekends and right around 7PM.

Completely unrelated, here is the tree at Rockefeller Center. 

It's just nice to do a little skating after a long day at work. I really can't jog where I live (especially at night) but ice skating provides a bit of exercise and the freedom to skate as fast as you can. The city can get cramped sometimes (especially in Times Square) but the Pond lets us break free from the city for awhile. Fact is, after an hour of ice skating, I'm a little sweaty, my face is red because of the cold, and I feel fantastic. I have been fortunate enough to go with friends most of the time this year, but even if I'm stopping in by myself after work for an hour of skating before closing I still leave feeling marvelous. It's a stress relief, gives me something to look forward to after work. I love it. I wanna go atleast 10 more times before it closes in late February, right before I leave the city for my next destination.

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Work has left me with little free time, but I promise that I have a few ideas for posts pretty soon here. Just know that if you are reading this I am most likely missing you very much right now, and definitely will during the holidays that are quickly approaching. Not being home for Xmas will be tough. I'll just have to ice skate instead.

i am 95% sure I witnessed a porno being shot in the apartment across from mine last night. never thought that would happen.

Style, popularity, and what it all means.

Style. I don't understand. To me, style is something I'd rather sacrifice just to be more comfortable physically. Sweatpants or jeans and a T-Shirt is pure comfort. Sadly, in the real world one cannot wear sweats and a woot shirt to work everyday. But this really isn't about dressing professionally, it's about whats cherished outside of that realm. Fashion and style is constantly changing, designer stores create new fashions constantly so we can look better than others and they can make more of our money. But style is so much more than that simple equation to us, for many in New York it is one of the first things to be able to judge another upon. How much effort did they put into their outfit today?

I understand not looking like a slob all of the time, but I guess I think being showered and wearing clean clothes that match is putting effort in.

Could you please smile?

I'm pretty lucky that I'm not a girl, because it seems way harder to be a girl than a guy. I don't have to worry about make up, shoes, and wardrobe that fits only certain occasions quite as much. There is this image of what a person should look like, and many of us tend to listen to that image and try to emulate it as best as possible. The problem is we all look different than the models who we stare at, so we never tend to reach that ultimate goal. So we try again. And again.

Why do we keep trying? Probably because a lot of others are doing the exact same thing. Friday and Saturday nights in the city are absolutely insane. I see countless girls dressed the same, super tight, super short skirts with big heels, tons of make up, and a tan faker than Snookie's. Personally, I'm usually amazed at how much work goes into that outfit, and how the girls tend to soak up all of the guys who are staring (and sometimes yelling) at them, who are thinking about only one thing. Sex defines style on the weekends, and if you aren't participating, you probably aren't included.

I'm probably just cynical because I truly don't understand style. As much as I tend to poke fun at it, I've certainly tried to up my fashion sense a bit since coming to New York, somethings work, but for the most part the best pieces of clothes I own have been picked out by others. Whatever works, I guess.

All of this harps back to one single concept: Acceptance. Acceptance is something that everyone, whether they would like to admit it or not, strives for. Acceptance can mean doing a great job at work, having the most friends, or buying the newest car. Whatever it means, we all search for it. If one dresses like he's part of an 80's hairband everyone will think he is making one giant joke. No one can seriously get away with something like that if they wanted to. Style is part of the real world's version of popularity in high school. There may not be as much bullying, but if you've got style and some money, you've definitely got some friends. And with all three of those things comes quite a bit of power. Power is an intangible that we all unconsciously strive for, because when you've got social power you can get lots of other people to do what you want them to. You're in control. It feels good.

Maybe I'm reading way too much into all of this. Maybe style is just about making one feel better about themselves when they look in the mirror. I may think that its fickle, but its certainly a part of society that keeps some individuals in a higher place than others, just another part of the social ladder than we keep trying to climb. It's a slippery ladder though, so its a climb that is easier for those who have nice boots.

I don't know. What do you all think? Post in the comments below and give me your take. Is it important? I look forward to reading them.