Halloween
I got stranded in New York City. New experiences for the win.
I was also a mushroom.
Despite what it might seem, these two statements are directly linked. (No, really. And yes. I was a mushroom at the time.) Weird things seem to happen to me when I wear humorous costumes--case in point: I once hydroplaned toward oncoming traffic in an intersection with a flat tire and a squirrel costume in the back seat.
So, the mushroom.
It started three or four days before Halloween. My work-buddy, who lives across from me in cubeville, also runs a gaming website on the side. As such, he knows a lot of gaming PR people--one very nice PR lady, who works for PopCap and represents Plants vs. Zombies, was organizing the Plants vs. Zombies "float"* in the annual Village Halloween Parade of New York City. She invited my work-buddy to be a plant or a zombie, and mentioned that he could bring a friend. Knowing, as he does, that I love zombies, he asked if I wanted to go to the dress rehearsal. Long story short, I volunteered to help out wherever they needed me.
This is me on Halloween, being needed:
I marched, I got blinded by cameras, I got rained on. It was one of those experiences that's a lot more fun to remember in hindsight than to be present in, as the mushroom pretty much rested entirely on my nose and I could hardly see anything at all. Plus, I got to be sopping wet all over, as part of the march included us re-enacting the game, and I got to be one of the eaten plants. Which meant that I got to kneel in fresh puddles of water every few blocks. I was not, however, cold, as it was also around seventy degrees that night.
After the parade--and more walking--I got some spiffin' swag, including a copy of the game. Then work-buddy and I headed off to a house party for a few hours. I decided I had to go to, as I'm trying really, really hard to not be quite as antisocial here. For a little while, anyway. It probably won't last, as I still really, really don't like parties.
I got back to the bus station in plenty of time to catch the 12:30 bus, and sat around with the three or four other people waiting for the same bus. It did not come.
Turns out the last bus on a Saturday (which Halloween was) comes at 11:00. The fact that there might even be a last bus, let alone that it would be earlier on a Saturday than on a Friday, had completely escaped me. (Me = n00b on transportation system.) So now I was stranded in New York City, with no cash** and no one to call in hopes of a place to crash. And then the bus terminal closed, because I didn't have enough stress wondering if I could wait another six hours for the first morning bus.
Thankfully, this is the sort of situation for which I have a cell phone. Who to call, when you don't know anyone nearby and you don't have any idea what to do?
Dad, of course.
I think I panicked him more than me, actually. I was pretty calm, as I had complete faith that Dad would know what to do, even if he didn't. We were chattering back and forth, frantically trying to figure out what I should do as the police ushered me out of the bus terminal, when a cabbie looked at me and went, "New Jersey, yes?"
Which set off me talking to both the cabbie and my father at once, getting the cabbie's info and checking the prices with my father. But my apartment had never looked so good when I finally got home. It was also, possibly, the most expensive fifteen minutes of my life, but it sure beat wandering the streets of New York in search of an even-more expensive hotel.
...I now have my boss's number, in case this ever happens again. Though I'd much rather just not be out at night. Ever. That would be fine with me. So yes. Halloween was fun, in a this-will-make-a-good-story-but-is-not-terribly-fun-in-person kind of way.
*There was no actual float. A lot of walking--and several shopping carts and a banner--but no actual float. Just sort of a reserved walking space, really.
**I haven't set up a bank here yet, and my cash supply is rather low. I have my debit card, and it's fine, but I have a serious lack of cash. I'm working on setting up a bank this week.
I was also a mushroom.
Despite what it might seem, these two statements are directly linked. (No, really. And yes. I was a mushroom at the time.) Weird things seem to happen to me when I wear humorous costumes--case in point: I once hydroplaned toward oncoming traffic in an intersection with a flat tire and a squirrel costume in the back seat.
So, the mushroom.
It started three or four days before Halloween. My work-buddy, who lives across from me in cubeville, also runs a gaming website on the side. As such, he knows a lot of gaming PR people--one very nice PR lady, who works for PopCap and represents Plants vs. Zombies, was organizing the Plants vs. Zombies "float"* in the annual Village Halloween Parade of New York City. She invited my work-buddy to be a plant or a zombie, and mentioned that he could bring a friend. Knowing, as he does, that I love zombies, he asked if I wanted to go to the dress rehearsal. Long story short, I volunteered to help out wherever they needed me.
This is me on Halloween, being needed:
I marched, I got blinded by cameras, I got rained on. It was one of those experiences that's a lot more fun to remember in hindsight than to be present in, as the mushroom pretty much rested entirely on my nose and I could hardly see anything at all. Plus, I got to be sopping wet all over, as part of the march included us re-enacting the game, and I got to be one of the eaten plants. Which meant that I got to kneel in fresh puddles of water every few blocks. I was not, however, cold, as it was also around seventy degrees that night.
After the parade--and more walking--I got some spiffin' swag, including a copy of the game. Then work-buddy and I headed off to a house party for a few hours. I decided I had to go to, as I'm trying really, really hard to not be quite as antisocial here. For a little while, anyway. It probably won't last, as I still really, really don't like parties.
I got back to the bus station in plenty of time to catch the 12:30 bus, and sat around with the three or four other people waiting for the same bus. It did not come.
Turns out the last bus on a Saturday (which Halloween was) comes at 11:00. The fact that there might even be a last bus, let alone that it would be earlier on a Saturday than on a Friday, had completely escaped me. (Me = n00b on transportation system.) So now I was stranded in New York City, with no cash** and no one to call in hopes of a place to crash. And then the bus terminal closed, because I didn't have enough stress wondering if I could wait another six hours for the first morning bus.
Thankfully, this is the sort of situation for which I have a cell phone. Who to call, when you don't know anyone nearby and you don't have any idea what to do?
Dad, of course.
I think I panicked him more than me, actually. I was pretty calm, as I had complete faith that Dad would know what to do, even if he didn't. We were chattering back and forth, frantically trying to figure out what I should do as the police ushered me out of the bus terminal, when a cabbie looked at me and went, "New Jersey, yes?"
Which set off me talking to both the cabbie and my father at once, getting the cabbie's info and checking the prices with my father. But my apartment had never looked so good when I finally got home. It was also, possibly, the most expensive fifteen minutes of my life, but it sure beat wandering the streets of New York in search of an even-more expensive hotel.
...I now have my boss's number, in case this ever happens again. Though I'd much rather just not be out at night. Ever. That would be fine with me. So yes. Halloween was fun, in a this-will-make-a-good-story-but-is-not-terribly-fun-in-person kind of way.
*There was no actual float. A lot of walking--and several shopping carts and a banner--but no actual float. Just sort of a reserved walking space, really.
**I haven't set up a bank here yet, and my cash supply is rather low. I have my debit card, and it's fine, but I have a serious lack of cash. I'm working on setting up a bank this week.