Shock and Awe

I have had a bit of a personal shock in my personal life over the past couple of days however nothing is conclusive at this point. I am not sure how much I will be writing here over the next couple of weeks while things are being processed and checked. If I fail to return phone calls or emails please know it is not personal, I am just trying to deal.

I am a BEAST!

I safely made it back to Florida and I would like to take a second and publicly eat a small piece of humble pie. In a previous entry I was a little disdainful of those who have to sit in a middle seat in coach on a long flight. I do not want it to see that I take travel for granted, rather I feel incredibly lucky to be in a position where I do get to travel to foreign lands or even not so foreign places. I apologize if sometimes my love of creature comforts sometimes boils over to the extent of ego-mania seeing privileges as an expectation. Sometimes I need someone to just kind of whack me over the head before I have leaned too far to the side. Thank you for that.

Back to the lighter side of life. Returning home from Florida was relatively uneventful on Sunday except that I was routed via Denver. Now there is nothing wrong with Denver in fact I actually quite like the area, but they certainly love their football there. Our plane was just taxing to the gate where we encountered a baggage handler jumping up and down on the tarmac in the middle of the taxi-ways with his entire face painted yellow and blue clearly in support of the Denver Broncos (who later were defeated in utter humiliation). Wonderful to see the excitement and enthusiasm in these fans.

I am also celebrating a new personal best for me in my aim for personal growth, this time not career or personality wise but simply physical. I hit a new personal best for me in bench press at a whopping total of 225 unassisted (not bad for a 160 pound lightweight). Nothing puts you in a better mood than hitting a personal record, well except maybe sex, but lets stick with things I can control :-).

Neon lights at the New York Stock Exchange.  

Beautiful Central Park in NY with a light covering of snow. A mere 17 degrees today. 

A classic view from NY, just a few blocks from my hotel. 

View from my hotel window on the 43rd floor of the Hilton. 

Flip and maybe some butterflies?

You are focused on a business setting where decorum and professionalism rules your actions and words. You spend the entire day conducting yourself in a manner you believe will be appropriate for your company as well as make yourself look good in a professional light. Then when you least expect it someone catches your attention, their demeanor and smile rivet your attention. There is no looking away even at the risk of staring. What was once a witty and eloquent tongue becomes cumbersome and idiotic. Words dribble out of your mouth the way mud comes out of a faucet, neither pretty nor steady, but rather in ugly bursts. Yet that smile stays in place, the eyes locked in daring you to break eye contact. The entire room and all its occupants have faded away into a blurred distance. It takes a few minutes before my mind unclouded itself and I could begin to think straight again at the matters at hand. I doubt I will ever see this individual again for this was truly two spirits passing in the great walk of life, yet wow. Every hair stood on end and every nerve was on fire for about 20 minutes. I wonder if this is how people describe narcotic drugs that make you hyperaware of your surroundings, for that is exactly how this felt. I am still buzzing from the experience.

Now that I have bored you to a stupor of this tiny experience that has created an unbelievable mark in my mind, I will talk of other more interesting matters. I have flown home from NY in time for a major company meeting all day today where my attendance was mandated to actually foster and lead the meeting. Directly at 5pm I flew out of the office to the airport where I had precious minutes to go through the whole airport thing to get a plane to my next destination, Florida. Yes I am flying all the way back to the east coast on a red-eye special in order to present for another four hours, sometimes I think this job will take an ultimate toll on my body. Still buzzing from the fore mentioned experience I was at a loss when I was stuck in not one but two accidents which happened just minutes in front of me. Finally arriving at the airport perspiring with adrenalin I sprint to the ticket counter. Alas United has cut back on their red eye flights to the point that there was no way to make it to Florida on my favorite airline I had to resort to American where I have no status. Check in went amazingly smooth until I could not retract the handle for my suitcase. The next ten minutes was spent trying to retract the handle on this very expensive and still fairly new piece of luggage. Finally giving up sprint to the security line where Southwest vacation travelers are struggling to understand the basic directions from TSA officials (please just take the laptop out of the bag, its not worth it). Finally onto the flight to LA, and next will be a non-stop LOOOOONNNGG flight to Fort Lauderdale in couch, in a middle seat, in the second to last row of the plane. SWEET! I guess I take the good and the bad of my job.

Onto another matter that I have spoken of before. Applications to business school have yielded less than stupendous results. With most of the replies received I have yet to receive the thick envelope that I so wanted and toiled for. Alas maybe this is not the right time for that step. For now I take this a day at a time, taking the good with the bad. I am going to continue to try and keep my chin up with all the wonderful happenings of last week and this while relishing in the wonderful moments between. New York was one of my best trips in recent days with some of the best company I have had to take me around the city. I am truly privileged to have made such a good friend as the one I did in NY and look forward to a long friendship moving forward (never a bad thing to have a free tour guide in NY who is also fun to boot).

My flight is leaving soon, I leave you with one last thought. None of us know where this year is going to take us, what new friendships or even dare I say it relationships are going to come forth. We do not know what hardships await us or what unbelievable good tidings and times we will experience, but I plan on running towards each one at full speed knowing that is exactly what life is all about!

Shiny beautiful wonderful substances

Have you ever held a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of beautiful yellow gold? You would be shocked by how much it weighs. I was lucky enough to see and touch billions and billions of dollars worth of gold (around 24 billion to be eact)

Through a sales contact I was invited to go down into the bedrock of New York city and go into the deepest vault in the city and see the largest collection of gold in the world at the Federal Reserve bank of NY! How could I pass up an opportunity like this, sometimes I absolutely love my job.

Getting into the building was fairly routine, just needed a contact inside to vouch for me, picture ID, metal detector and x-ray of my possessions. Not quite as intrusive as the airport and the cops were much more cheerful and patient. Only two special elevators go to the sub floors A-E, of course the gold is kept in the lowest floor, E. Located over 80 feet below the street it is built straight into the bedrock of NY. In fact when the vault was built, it was first constructed and then the building constructed around it. The door itself weighs 90 tons and is operated by a manual wheel with no hydraulics or electricity. It is so well designed from the 1920s that even I was able to easily turn the wheel to rotate the vault door. Once the door is sealed and lowered into a cork like hole a few inches down the entire vault is air tight and water right. The door can only be opened when the clocks on the inside (which are manually wound and set each day) release the locks, without those clocks it is impossible to open the door by ANY operator. They say there is enough air in the vault to last a two day weekend if someone is locked in considering the air is also cut off at the end of each day, however it has never been proven or tested. Once inside there are over 100 individual vaults some filled with simply a few dozen bars of gold others so overstocked that to open the door risks gold actually falling out. Each vault is identified simply by a number and not by the country or organization who owns it, and can only be opened by three separate individuals.

Interestingly two countries needed additional storage of gold and thus they had to build a new vault outside the main one. To bring in the 300 TON door they literally had to cut successive holes in the parking garage and lower it floor by floor. One needs to wonder how much security that took each night. The security guards are serious by quite friendly (as are most New Yorkers). They have their own shooting range on the third floor and can shut down the entire building and secure it in 23 seconds, this is not something I witnessed or wished to test. But unbelievably cool and impressive. The truly remarkable thing is that we do not charge any of the outside entities to house and secure their gold, only when they want to transfer it or remove gold.

Outside of the gold visit (which is still one of the highlights) my visit to one of the greatest cities in the world was fantastic. Outstanding food and even better company. I am convinced that New Yorkers get a complete bad rap when it comes to their attitude. I continue to find them some of the friendliest people willing to make up for the overly cramped conditions they find themselves in anyway they can. What I do not miss is the constant dressing and undressing for the unbelievable chilled weather. Every time you go outside the layers of leather, cotton and wool needed to protect against the elements. Thankfully a small price to pay for the privilege of living in a fantastic city.

Returned home today on a nice short 6 hour flight on United’s wonderful PS service (premier service) flight. This is a domestic 757 outfitted with three cabins with unbelievably comfortable seating. They give to all first and business travelers their own personal DVD player with 12 different movies to watch at their leisure in their plush leather seats. Complete with two meals and special soups and moisturizers in the bathroom, this service makes flying in and out of NY one of the most enjoyable flights on United bar none. Unfortunately my stay in the sunny state of CA will be short lived as I will be flying out late tomorrow to Florida on an red-eye before another multi-hour presentation. I most certainly look forward to next week and my lack of travel plans!

What’s in an age

Why do we put so much value on a little number which many times we are at pains to remember even for ourselves. I have numerous friends that have accused me of being old beyond my years, I even have a friend who thinks I should have grey hair (better than no hair) for I act more like a senior citizen then a youth of the world. Is it something to be ashamed of to be old in heart and young in spirit and age? Sure there are certain things that age makes a distinct difference, when thinking of couples where kids might become a discussion point or when deciding who becomes the beneficiary of a life insurance plan, but save that if we get along with those of a younger or older age should we be apologetic for such? I believe not. Although sometimes I wish I could act younger, act like the lost and clues, thinking only of sex, alcohol and the occasional recreational drug, frankly it is not me. Alas I still struggle when going to clubs in Vegas and other cities from saying to people, ‘Grow up and stop acting like such babies with this drama’. One feels almost condescending when thinking it, yet you know it to be true. So I leave this subject simply with to thy own self be true. You can not apologize for those you like or in some cases those you may not. T.E, you deserve the world, and if one is not right although you are reticent to hurt him, it is better to be honest early than drag it out for years to come. You show your true colors by your own pain, you are truly a good person.

On a lighter note, coming back from a restaurant in NY, I land in a taxi in a slightly inebriated state although well in my wits, state my hotel address. Not as the web lists it and as tourists call it as Avenue of the Americas, rather as 6^th Ave as locals call it. The taxi driver begins to take a roundabout route which I know to be false, I call him on it and in fact even tell him what the appropriate fare is (the opposite of what I paid on the way down) and he even apologized. Now I feel some NY roots growing, simple wasn’t it?

Good night to all

Ahhh a frozen apple

I have arrived thus in New York for work and maybe a little tourism as well. A local friend took me to a restaurant with some great food but really it was the bathroom that was absolutely fabulous. Imagine a room that you enter through a glass door, the room is darkened since the entire wall that one just walked through is actually one way glass. The back and side walls are all mirrors. So as one sits or stands at the toilet you see right through the door and front wall overlooking the entire restaurant. In fact adjoining tables are actually having its occupants leaning back upon the very wall you are staring out upon, no more than 4 or so feet from the place where you are relieving yourself. Slightly unnerving initially but later the cool factor sets in.

A snow fell last night and now the temperature has dropped to a bone chilling 24 degrees (in the sun) however with a warm hat and heart it is no match for this Wisconsin boy. The city is so alive with energy all the time day and night it is invigorant to see. But now at this moment I need to spend some time working on my presentation, until the next installment, enjoy a day of football and hopefully warmer weather.

Smells and music

The power of both has the ability to transport us to another world or another time. Half in sleep and half out of sleep on my trusty mp3 player a song wafts slowly through my foggy mind. It sounds familiar, and then like a flood of torrential white capped waters all the memories and emotions come sweeping back. This was a song from a funeral, a very recent funeral, a funeral for one so young and so innocent. I sit in seat 2A on a plane flying 35000 ft somewhere over Kansas and yet my mind is standing along a street holding a candle watching the flickering of the flame as family pictures are flashed on a large overhead screen. It was like yesterday and yet it has been months and months. Sleep has entirely left me and I am now in fully consciousness. God Bless you Ben in heaven right now where I am sure you are winning every video game ever made! We greatly miss you.

On these sobering thoughts I reflect on the events of late. Today was a wash of work as my entire worldwide team has flown in for two days of intense meetings to create our vision and plans for the next 1-2 years. Beginning at 8am and ending late into the evening the discussions are filled with contentious debates and the occasional sardonic humor. Today was filled with distractions as I attempted to have repairs made to my car prior to my departure to the airport. Much to my surprise a random company I called from the yellow pages arrived around noon and in 20 minutes had fully fixed the window. Although it looks like there is some other minor damage to the car I fear I escaped lightly. When the repair guys found out I live in the city he joked that they have a deal, every five break-ins I get a free window replacement. Humorous in a bitter prophetic way. On the drive to the airport I reach for my sunglasses in their ceiling hutch only to find them missing as well. I agree with my mother after talking to her, it is like being violated each time I get into the car and discover another thing missing. A weird feeling to picture someone in my car, sitting in the seat and rooting around through my things. I get only a glimpse of what victims of other crimes must feel after their incidents.

I would also like to reflect on a comment I got from an anonymous reader. I did not say my bad day compared to any other, for it could be so much worse. But in a stand-alone way it still makes for a lousy day as compared to days of past. This is what makes us appreciate the good so much more, for there can be no extreme happiness without unfortunate pain and no joy without sadness.

To leave this entry on a humorous note, on my flight from San Jose to Denver (just a stopover) I was in first class and was surprised by laughter from all around me. The 8 of us in first had a fantastic laugh at the ‘new and improved’ security methods on this particular flight. Due to 9-11 whenever a member of the flight crew needs to the use the facilities or rather anytime the cockpit door is opened a barrier of some type must be placed to prevent a passenger from rushing the cockpit door. Usually this barrier takes the form of a drink cart sideways across the hallway or a factory installed retractable fence. On this particular flight the head flight attendant (purser) placed two rolling board suitcases laid flat across the walkway. Keep in mind this barrier at the most was 1 to 2 feet off the ground. Between laughter we asked what that could possibly accomplish, answer it would cause an evil doer to trip prior to reaching the door. Riiiiggghhhttt. Another wonderful regulation hard at work to protect us. A smile to fly my way into a new day as I cross the midnight somewhere over Oklahoma.

It just keeps getting better

Well yesterday didn’t get worse, didn’t get better it just kinda was. But that is ok, I can live with that, everyday doesn’t need to be a peach in the tree. I packed last night for my trip out tonight on a red-eye to Dallas while also trying to get work done that did not happen during an all day meeting. Woke up this morning at 4:30am went downstairs put backpack, gym bag, overnight bag, lunch all into the trunk and proceeded into my car. Huh, that’s funny I don’t remember leaving my glove compartment open. Ohh fuck. Yup you guessed it my wonderful fellow residents in San Francisco decided it was high time I got a taste of SF crime. They smashed in my passenger window, now as far as I can tell they only took a few things, my GPS unit that was in my glove compartment (out of sight or so I thought), and my EMT shield and ID which was in a hidden compartment (apparently they know the same hidden compartment). Call the police, ‘Yes this is silicon valley police unless you have suspect handcuffed to car please file your report on-line, have a nice day’. Knowing I have to be at work what else is there to do but drive down south. Now although this is CA it can be quite cold at 5am, in our case 45 degrees. Try driving for an hour in 45 degree weather, in your gym clothes, with your bloody window open! But you know what, still not in a bad mood. I am not thrilled, but these things happen and we move on not a big deal.

I finally get to work and call my insurance company, the Gecko company. After moving me between three or four claims officials it finally comes down, the GPS was not installed by a professional and thus is a personal item and thus not covered. As for the glass it will probably be under my deductible so also not covered. ‘Anything else we can do for you Mr. Stein?’ No I think I have been screwed over enough today, thank you very much. So now I need to see if I can find a place to replace my glass during the day today since I have to fly out of here for the next three days and don’t think it is the best idea to leave my car in an airport parking lot with a piece of plastic over the window. Of course I also need to deal with my shield and ID being stolen for my medical status, that should be equally fun. As Jim Carrey would say it is B-E-A-UTIFUL!

Maybe this year is not going to be the best year. If you happen to see a United flight go down tonight and a cessation of entries on this site, know that I went down with a smile and a laugh at good fortune.

Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

And its only 7:45am. The day started well enough, up at 4:30am got ready and out of the house by 5:00. Except for that darn contact which would not get in the eye. Cleaning after cleaning, finally it went it after many tears (not emotional just pain). Ok drive down south was uneventful, in the gym for a great workout until 7am. Into the locker room, quickly strip down to the birthday suit to jump in the shower, open the side pocket of the gym bag for my soap and shampoo, reach in and come out with an entire handful of gooey white gel. Yes you guessed it my new bottle of shampoo had opened and spread its juices all over the pocket and everything else in there. To add insult to injury through condensation or some other physics principle it had seeped through the barrier wall into the main part of the bag and now my nice clothes for the day have a bit of shampoo smell and a bit of soapy film on them.

Standing there naked and dumbfounded I am at a loss at what to do. Do I attempt to clean the bag, take a shower, or just stand there. Honestly the latter took place for a few minutes before I decided to clean the bag as best as possible scooping out gooey handful after gooey handful. Finally clean enough to go shower and get dressed, which now I have no shampoo, ironic isn’t it. Get into the car head to the office for a very busy day, grab my sports coat for a formal customer presentation later and realize I grabbed the navy blue coat as compared to my black one. Hmmm, that will look wonderful with my black pants. It is not yet 8am and boy am I just having a fantastic time! Bring it on, I can take it!

Excellence

Everyday we see people honored for being giants in their field. Be it engineering, acting, music, bravery or some other skill, we admire these people for their abilities and talents. As we watch award shows on TV, or possibly read about which music artist went platinum many of us feel a tinge of jealousy, wishing we were up on that stage or in front of that microphone. Maybe performing is not for us, rather it is using our talents in design or teaching or possibly innovation where we set ourselves above all the rest to create the next culture shattering invention.

The question is which one are we? No one wants to think of themselves as just one of the crowd, we like to believe we are all unique and more importantly an overachiever in some area. We are the pinnacle of a profession or talent, the question is what talent or profession is for us. I believe when I have had good friends come up to me and profess they are still searching for the meaning of life, they are really searching for their pinnacle or their area of excellence. What is it that they do superior to all others? We hear of others who go through strife and such dire life challenges that it hardly seems possibly to persevere, but yet they do. We can’t help wonder inside the confines and privacy of our own mind if we were put in that situation if we too would have overcome or shown remarkable patience or wisdom to achieve the same success as those we admire.

So on those long walks on warm spring days when we ponder life’s great questions and our own place in the universe know that within you there is a source of excellence. It may not be one that will ever be recognized on an award show, or by a US government patent, or even by a school child 20 years later who professes that you saved their life, but there is something in each of us.

One of these days we will actually figure out what it is.

It was craziness

So yesterday I overslept until 7am which for me is actually way oversleeping (since I normally now get up at 4:30) and since I did not want to battle traffic going south I decided to work from home. About two months ago my job gave me a new phone, a Palm Treo (similar to a blackberry in functionality) and it has been a kick ass device except for the times when it does not ring when someone calls or delays in receiving voice mails. Minor things when you consider its primary purpose is to be a phone.

At 4:30 in the evening I received notification of a voicemail arrival in my mailbox. When I played it, it was from a friend that went something like this, “Matthew this is C, I am going to hospital, need some help from you, call me at XXX-YYY-ZZZZ its 8:30am right now” Wow this is really serious, one problem however was that zzzz was said so quickly as to not be clear at all, second I am already 9 hours behind. I tried to make out the most common sounding combinations of zzzz and called about 30 numbers. No luck! I then had a brainstorm, I watch Law and Order all the time and they call the phone company to get all the phone logs, surely I can do the same thing. So I quickly call Cingular, and find out what works on TV does not work as well in real life. 45 minutes later they tell me that they can only give me the numbers when the bills comes out 17 days from today. I finally get their service director and explaining the situation, he understood and started working on a search program to get those numbers. In the meantime I also think World Wide Web, everything is available on the web. SO I am searching all sorts of stalker sites to get this phone number, unbelievable nothing there either. This girl is better than some agents for the CIA! It finally occurs to me 3+ hours later to find a mutual friend who happens to have the number (go figure, sometimes it is the easiest answer that takes the longest time). I finally get in touch with here at 9pm and she is ok. Minor problem and they gave her medication. The funny thing is my friends know that if they ever need anything, they can call me anytime. OOPS!

In the next two weeks I have one of the most hectic travel schedules since I have worked here. Next week I have to be in two all day meetings in CA, then have to take a red-eye flight to Texas for a 9am meeting the next day. The following week I have to be in NY Monday and Tuesday, fly back Wednesday for an all day meeting in CA on Thursday, then another red-eye flight to be in Florida by 10am on Friday. All told about 14,000 air miles in 9 days. The crazy thing is last year I flew a grand total of 95,600 miles. Now United has for their mileage plus program multiple levels those being 25,000, 50,000 and 100,000 miles. I have been 1k last year and was hoping to keep it, however they tell me a miss of 4,500 miles is not enough. UGHHH!! I am like 5% miss is SOOO close, please! Consider of course that over the course of the year I have given them over $100,000 in business. They say I can plead my case in a week. I will let you know how it goes, but come on United, I have helped you out of bankruptcy show a little appreciation!

Clearly life has become slight busier since the holidays. It was a nice relaxing break, but now we are back to 5^th gear again. Should be lots of interesting stories coming down the line.

DONE, FINISHED, COMPLETE

After 12 hours of my voice on tape I have successfully read a full 320 page book onto tape. Now that I have confused everyone, an explanation. My Grandmother in recent days has started having challenges with her eyes, the challenge being that she is loosing her sight. Alas one of her favorite recreational activities is to read. Any of you avid readers out there (and you must all be for why else would you be reading this blog) know that reading something as compared to hearing it read to you on tape is far superior. So instead of simply buying a professional book on tape I felt it would be more meaningful if I actually read the entire book onto tape for her. I have neither the most exciting voice nor the advanced equipment, yet in the long run do any of those minor points matter when it is family? So thus I began a few days after Thanksgiving to read Life of Pi (a great book if you have not already read it on the meaning of life and survival) onto 12 hours of cassette tapes. With numerous breaks and interruptions I finished it today to much rejoicing and a beer.

Last week I went to do my final blood, rather platelet donation of the year which proceeded without incident or excitement until about halfway through another donor takes a seat next to me to bring his donation. I am in the middle of some brainless action movie of which name I can’t remember which probably speaks loads for the movie, and look over and he has a group of half naked woman all over his TV. Boy did I pick the wrong spot. He had turned on a repeat of the Victoria Secret Lingerie fashion show. I used maybe half an eye on my movie and the rest on his show. The not so surprising aspect of all this was his donation process took far less than mine, would that by any chance have to do with increased blood pressure and the fastest heartbeat in the room? Quite possibly. Either way I found it both amusing and interesting to note that if I was to watch some equally stimulating show in the future my donation time can be reduced by as much as a third, why didn’t I think of this before?

Continuing my previous dialogues describing conditions in San Francisco to all my readers (all six of you). Now although the amount of precipitation we have received this winter has been higher in quantity than in previous years the weather is about on par with normal patterns according to locals. Compared to the fall which was nothing but an endless parade of beautiful clear days in the mid seventies occasionally marred by the occasional night time drop in temp, the winter is a routine of ever-present overcast days with a more than occasional rainfall. Probably similar to Seattle people remain cheerful and take it all in stride, in fact even during the strongest of rain storms pedestrians are granted the right of way (except for the occasional taxi at the end of their shift) and the streets are washed clean. Thankfully the mudslides and power outages have been limited to the Santa Cruz and Napa valley area (both areas far outside the city), the most excitement we have had was when the newspaper boxes started flying into the streets. I still love this city!

A smile, A kiss and a drink. 

Peace baby, in the candy shop. 

Two party animals. 

New Years with the 28 year old frat boys

How to describe my new years party. Everyone close your eyes, ok that that doesn’t work because then you can’t see what I have written. Picture in your head a fraternity party, your typical party with crazy guys, crazy girls, lots and lots of alcohol all inside a house with crazy decorations from panty rooms to the elk head on the wall. Now take this exact same group of people and continue forward about 5 years.

A good friend and I come to this house that is in Fort Mason, a former military base now run by the national park service that rents out the buildings to civilians. This 8 bedroom house is absolutely huge and for a front lawn it overlooks the entire bay, a killer view. There are summons by the park commission for previous parties that were excessive in either noise or length framed and mounted throughout the house. An actual zebra head was mounted to the wall of the dance floor room while other rooms had the simple décor of movie posters and alcohol signs. Smoke detectors lay disconnected and laying on counter tops while doorbell wires lay coiled up around hot water pipes. They had rented two bartenders and a DJ, which compared to a fraternity party was near identical save for the quality of the alcohol. The dress underwent transformations from jeans and t-shirts in college to jackets, ties and even the occasional tux now. For you see these are all now young professionals just starting their career. Squirming threw the crowd one overhears conversations of entry into sales, marketing, PR, consulting intermixed with tales of travels and start-ups gone bad. Cornell, Yale, Oxford, Harvard were the most common alma mattas which explains the level of people, equally smart and then stupid when it comes to business as compared to drinking.

Prior to midnight there was the usual titillating conversations of wealth and knowledge from those in their jobs for the first times in their lives. Post midnight it morphed into drunk dancing (always the best kind, or at least we think it is at the time), random hookups (what would a party be without) and of course copious drinking. Dancing and drinks don’t always work, for as dancing gets more wild, drinks get dropped. The more drinks dropped, the slippery the dance floor becomes, causing more drinks to be tipped. A vicious cycle that yielded humorous results. The house and party rapidly started to look like a scene from any random MTV reality show.

As someone who was in a fraternity without a home and thus whose fraternity parties were limited to the occasional few a year, it was less of a flashback and more of a window into movies describing such a scene. You can change the dress, improve the alcohol and increase the net worth, but people don’t change. All this is to say, I had a great time. Great crowd of people, all just there to have a good time. Unlike college no dirty drunks, although the girls still on the couch crying about something or other has not changed with age and maturity. My favorite is when a couple of guys came into a room with my friends (females) and myself. One of them was digging one of the girls but before he would sit down for conversation he wanted to make sure he was not jumping in between her and me. Now that kind of respect you didn’t find in college, not wanting to throw off another guy’s groove. How cool is that, major props to Brian. Stumbling home at 3:30am and absolutely collapsing on my bed (alone) made for the ultimate conclusion to the night.

My thanks to T for the invite and a great time (although my dancing was certainly not up to par, and yes I dance like a white guy).