New World, New Weather

So many worlds exist within this world, as I slightly touched on at the end of my last post. Do you ever think about the cross country skiing world, dog showing world, glassblowing world, or laser tag world? Okay, sometimes I think about the laser tag world...and wish I was in it. Still, at least once a year, I'm exposed to a whole new community of people. Lingo, inside jokes, and intra-community celebrities that I never knew existed surface as I attempt to integrate myself into whatever new society I've stumbled upon.

Kelly, me, and Rayna with Street King memorabilia

This weekend, I was introduced to the Promotions World. You know all of those really obnoxious people who bombard you with free stuff at fairs and on street corners in hopes that you start buying their product? I am now one of them. Perhaps I'm being a tad harsh in saying that all promotions are obnoxious. I personally love free stuff, so they're only bothersome when I'm in a rush. Also, having new-found experience working one, I see that they're quite effective and fun to be a part of.

During the many times I've scooted past stands in my lifetime, never once did I stop to think, Hmm...I wonder how those people got that job. I suppose my assumption was that they work for the company that owns whatever they're trying to give me. For the most part, as I discovered this weekend, that is not the case. Businesses often use promotion companies to hire outside Brand Ambassadors to, what do you know, promote their products. This explains how I ended up in a black and gold hip hop hat (not pictured, sadly) handing out samples of "Street King" energy shots this weekend. I was seriously asked if I work for G-Unit since I was promoting 50 Cent's new drink (50 Cent is a rapper, Mom). I wish I worked for G-Unit and kicked it with 50 Cent and The Game. Instead, I've started working for Attack! Marketing (The "!" is actually part of the company's name, to clear up any confusion). Basically, they send me emails with promotions in New York City and I apply for each one that fits my schedule/for which I fit the client's requirements. Most events pay really well, so why not? I'll have ample stories to tell my kids of how I made ends meet in New York when I was "young and crazy."

Standing on the corner outside of Penn Station on a Friday night with a tray full of plastic shot glasses garners a lot of attention. People decked out in their gory, slutty, funny, and lame Halloween costumes seemed rather disappointed when we explained that it was only an energy shot, not booze. Kelly, Rayna (my new friends), and I laughed when blatantly underage kids would excitedly ask, "Is it alcohol??" Yes, oh brilliant minds, we are handing out free alcohol on the corner of a street in New York City. Totally legal. Energy drinks seem to be popular, anyways, so they went pretty fast. I thought it'd be difficult to get strangers to drink an unknown substance out of a plastic cup, but apparently people are more trusting than I'd anticipated. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing, but perhaps that's why they hire tall girls in their early twenties to hand them out. We don't look like the roofying type.

Today we had the pleasure of promoting Street King in Queens (that is a lot of royalty), the borough most difficult to get to from Brooklyn. I begrudgingly rolled out of bed at 7a.m. after being wide awake until 3:30a.m. (we were asked to sample the 6 hour energy shot ourselves last night. I guess it works- and I only took half...) to begin my 1 1/2 hour journey north. A whopping total of 12 miles. I almost died when I pushed open the lobby door to find snow on the ground. REALLY? I have not been dreaming of a white Halloween. It's two holidays early. To make matters worse, the snow turned into stinging cold rain by the time I reached Starbucks. Perfect weather for outdoor promoting. Memories of last January came flooding back, reminding me of when I proclaimed "I'll never say 'I'm cold' again" after spending seven days in below zero conditions dog sledding across Ely, Minnesota. If I could handle that, I could most certainly handle a couple hours in New York's October cold front. False. We were all so miserable 2 1/2 hours into the event that we closed up shop early. First of all, no one wanted to lolly-gag around to drink Street King when they were being blasted in the face by daggers of rain and bone chilling gusts of wind. Secondly, we all lost any feeling in our appendages 15 minutes in (that's with wearing gloves), so opening small bottles and writing down information became grueling tasks. Maybe better luck tomorrow.

I trudged home in the slippery slush, grateful for my black UGG boots matching the uniform requirements, and arrived at my apartment looking something like this:

I was warned about Northeast weather, but considering it took me two hours to thaw after getting home, I don't think I was entirely prepared. Why didn't the most popular city in the world develop in, I don't know, let's say San Diego? Who's idea was it to plop all those skyscrapers in a place that is freezing, windy, and unbearable half the year? Those old developers were not wearing their thinking caps.

With all of the promotions happening, I've decided not to dress up for Halloween this year (unless you count the sopping dog costume or hip hop diva uniform). Besides, I went out to a great little bar with Jim, three of his college a cappella buddies, Jacob, and Lindsay on Thursday, so I got my fill of fun. I can only handle one late night per weekend these days. Pathetic. The night was a blast, though- definitely worth my one open slot (I'm counting Thursdays as part of the weekend, I guess). I even met a Villanova grad who works right next to my apartment! Since no one I meet ever works or lives near me, that was pretty exciting.

Well, it's 8 p.m. and I got 3 1/2 hours of sleep last night, so I think I'll hit the sack. Hopefully tomorrow isn't as brutal outside. And Happy Birthday, Dad! As he likes to say, today he turns the Virginia speed limit: 55!