Monday, February 8, 2016

BoTB Results and SOML ~ NYC For Dummies

In some ways, this last Battle of the Bands was my favorite in a while. It collided with my Soundtrack of My Life and Lost and Found. I'm still having difficulty managing my life (shocking) and my migraines, so I didn't get to as many of your posts as I'd like, but I'm still planning on visiting... soon.

As for the Battle... The song was Say Something. The contenders were Boyce Avenue and Pentatonix. I'm still undecided with my own vote, but you guys came out strongly in favor of Boyce Avenue. Pentatonix got votes (and strong ones when cast), but it really wasn't even close. Final tally:\

Boyce Avenue: 15
Pentatonix: 8

Let's continue on with my Soundtrack story.



The year was 1990. I just graduated college and moved to NYC to pursue a job in publishing. I found a job fairly quickly in the publicity department at St. Martin's Press. Turns out, there was a "hubaloo" in that department that resulted in almost everyone quitting and finding other jobs. I had NO IDEA of that when I went in to interview. I was the first person the new director hired. And I will write more on the job later...

But, I want to talk about "adjusting to life in NYC" in this soundtrack post.

Turns out that I was pretty naive about everything NYC, up to and including job hunting. My friend, Sag, graduated a year ahead of me and had a job in the City. We got an apartment in Queens, and she did her best to teach me the key to survival in this new place. There were a few important lessons I got right away. 1) Don't look around when you're walking in the City. That screams awestruck tourist. 2) Never greet anyone with a pleasant "good morning" or "how are you?" on the street. If you forget yourself and do this (I did), you will scare the crap out of any sane person (saw this firsthand). You will invite conversation from insane people (experienced this for myself), which will then scare the crap out of you. 3) Always zip your backpack from the bottom. If the zippers meet at the top, anyone can just unzip, stick their hand in, and walk away with your stuff. (Never experienced this, because I always remembered this rule!)

It was the stuff Sag didn't tell me that got me in trouble. For instance, while I was still job interviewing, I spent a day in the City. Had about three interviews that day. I was still green at navigating the subway, so I planned my route ahead of time for minimal opportunities of tragedy. Picture this: it was a sunny afternoon. My interviews were done. I was wearing a suit and heels and really just wanted to go home and collapse. A frantic woman approached me with a horrific story of being robbed and not able to get home. There were plenty of tears and she looked panicked sure enough. I felt terrible for her (easily imagining myself as her) and gave her all my money in my purse. That amounted to the trifling sum of $10. However, it wasn't until she walked away that it hit me: I gave her all the money in my purse. I needed that money to buy a subway token to get home. Instead, I walked about thirty blocks to Sag's workplace so she could pay for my subway token back to Queens. By the time I got there, my feet were leaden (and blister-ridden) and I was ready to beg money off a stranger with my own sob story. Sag and her co-worker nearly laughed themselves to death after hearing this tale of woe.

Apparently, there really is a sucker born every minute. That same sucker often becomes hardened and vows not to donate money to strangers ever again. Ergo, there is also a smarter, savvier person born the next minute.

I could tell you dozens of New York City stories. Because, let's face it, I'm one of those people who has to fall into every hole in order to accept there really is a hole there. I'm only giving you one more and then we're moving on in the next post. Jennifer the Second moved in with Sag and I. On the weekends, we'd often go out clubbing or drinking or something. Each one of these occasions always resulted in some sort of epic story. On this weekend night, we were trying hip new places. I think this was a one and done sort of experience. Turns out hip is another term for expensive. At our last stop for the night, the cover charge was something ridiculous, $10, which was a lot back then. The beer was something like $7 a bottle. I couldn't tell you what a mixed drink was, because I knew it was more than I wanted to pay. So, we're standing there trying to decide what to do in this uber-expensive place we paid to get into. Heck, I didn't even like the music. It was all very electronica and not all that danceable, to my way of thinking. So, we're just taking it all in when this guy in white lingerie (yes, women's lingerie) weaved through the crowd blowing a whistle. This happened quite a few times. We ended up not staying too long. We couldn't afford the drinks. We didn't like the music. While the guy with the whistle was mildly entertaining, after the third blow I was pretty well over it. We walked outside and Sag said something like, "Well that was something new and different."

And I said something like, "Yeah, the women were really tall."

She just looked at me and said something like, "You're an idiot."

To which I said, mildly offended, "What???"

"They were men, you dope."

And there you have it. I pretty well spent those two years with my mouth hanging open and chin scraping the sidewalk.




If you're enjoying these posts, feel free to share your own Soundtrack. This isn't a hop. No requirements at all, but a suggestion to do it one song at a time. (If you participated in the hop several years ago, you can still do this. Just post them one song at a time, with the freedom to add more songs if you'd like.) I'll link to all participants at the bottom of each of these posts:

StMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS

Cherdo on the Flipside 

Holli's Hoots and Hollers 

THE DOGLADY'S DEN 

Mean Who You Are

40 comments:

  1. And the song you picked fits that last story well! You certainly wouldn't have had any dance partners in that last place.

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    1. In point of fact NO ONE asked me to dance. It was a mystery... until it wasn't.

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  2. Oh...that is too funny! The last story I mean. I could picture myself being just as innocent. As for walking way too long in high heels-been there and have done that! I hate heels

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    1. I'm not sure I could ever be that innocent again. Compared to that girl, this one is downright jaded.

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  3. LOL!!! I'm that naive. I probably wouldn't be safe in a city. I'll have to pass along the backpack tip to my son if he goes to New York or Chicago for law school.

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    1. Good idea. The three rules serve you well in any city!

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  4. NYC is full of interesting situations. Been there and done that. Being as I was raised in Chicago and working in the theatre, not much shocked me, but there were pretty amazing things going on at all times of day and night. Men as women, and women as men...Yup, Like I said, in the theatre; it's a crazy circus (freak show) no matter how legitimate they think they are.

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    1. Why does this not surprise me??? You're a very well-rounded lady, FAE.

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  5. I love the city of Denver, but that's about as city as I can get. Your description of New York City sounds horrifying for a guy that likes looking around and saying hi to people and generally being friendly. The fake but convincing beggar's never gotten me, though.

    Fun story: I had a friend who was such a sap for donating to beggars. She always donated to this one guy in particular, a homeless looking guy in a wheelchair with no legs. She did it because she felt bad for him. I told her he was probably faking it. She never believed me and said no one would ever do that... until she gave him a $5 bill, and some jackass came by and grabbed his jar of money, and the dude hopped out of his wheelchair (his legs were just tucked underneath him to make his knees look like stumps) and he ran in a full SPRINT toward the guy that stole from him.

    She's not given a single dollar to anyone since, and I still give her crap about it to this day. True story.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Bryan,

      After that incident, I never gave money to anyone on the street again. However, I do remember one very late night in which we were out dancing and I got the 2am munchies. I went into a convenience store and bought a bagel with cream cheese (yeah, most of those places sell 'em in NYC). As I walked out the door, bagel in hand, someone asked me for money. Looked homeless. I told him I'd give him half my bagel. He said, "Okay." And I did.

      I know someone who carries around $5 gift cards to places like McDonalds, BK, etc. for homeless folks.

      What I've found in my experience is that almost all people who are truly homeless never ask for a dime. It's the con artists out there panhandling, so if you really want to help a homeless person give them a food card while they stand in the freezing cold waiting for the library to open. Or a coat. Most could use both.

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  6. Oh, my. Such a place. You learned a lot. What is hubaloo? Is it related to hullabaloo? I should look it up instead of bothering you. I'm always curious about words. My daughter lived in the Bay area for several years. She had a "game face" for walking through frightening areas. She told me not to look at anyone or speak to anyone.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Hubaloo is the redneck cousin of hullabaloo. Seriously, Janie, my brain doesn't always work right (thanks for that migraimes!, so I don't always get words right. I MEANT hullabaloo.

      Anyone who lives in a big city long enough develops a game face. It's required for survival. Seriously.

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    2. Oh, I know it's serious to have a game face. Don't worry about hubbabubba. I get words wrong all the time.

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  7. My BotB voting is about as successful as my real-world voting. sigh)

    Anyway, NYC was a mess in the 1970's. It's gotten better since.

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    1. I didn't even vote on this last one. I really liked both of them. I think I favored Pentatonix, but my vote really didn't matter, so I just let the voters call it. I see from your Music Moves Me post that you like music. Have you thought about participating in BoTB? If so, let Stephen T. McCarthy know and he'll put you on The List.

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  8. "the women were really tall" - ahhh, to be so young and innocent. ;)

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    1. It's the sort of mistake you only make once!

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  9. I love NYC, but you do have to be on your guard. Philly was similar, only smaller, so less was thrown at you all at once.

    I've been in Phoenix twenty years, and it's almost 26 since your bar adventures, and $7 still sounds like a lot for a beer!.

    I have always loved big cities-used to sneak into Philly as a kid (we weren't really supposed to according to our parents), used to go to NYC several times a year when I lived that way, and could vacation every year in London and still probably not see all of it.
    Larry

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    1. I know, right???? $7 still sounds expensive to me, too. Maybe they were secretly members of AA and trying to get people to STOP drinking. hahaha. All I know is that it was more than I wanted to pay!

      I've never been to London, but I've been saying for at least a decade that my next "big" trip will be to the British Isles. I'm hoping I'm not using a walker when I get there...

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  10. I've been to New York, but only the airport. I consider myself warned if I ever visit the city proper.

    I remember seeing a really tall blonde in Miami once. When I pointed her out to my husband, he laughed and told me that was no woman - it was a man in drag. I had no idea.

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    1. I feel better knowing it's happened to someone else!

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  11. I did very well on all my picks this past BOTB. Love your stories. Always captivate me. I think I'd love to hear a few more New York stories. That sort of thing happened to me when I visited Paris. One lady runs up to me crying and carrying on about being trapped in Paris with no money and no way home. Well, I read that bit only after I initially told her I didn't speak English. So she pulls out this book that was translated into several different languages and I read it. I gave her probably one pound and started to realize after that it was probably a scam. The book look weathered and had several different languages. Who translated all that for her? How long had she been trapped? Later the same day, I was visiting the Eiffel tower when a women came up to me frantic (a different woman) and essentially told me she was trapped in Paris. She even had a notebook for me to read in English.
    Unfortunately, it's hardened me to want to give anyone asking for many anything. Which is a shame to people who are really in a pickle.

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    1. I lived in NYC for two years, so there will be a few more stories from this time period, but not many.

      I think even the most empathetic people only get scammed (in the same way anyway) once. Unfortunately, scammers get smarter and more creative every day.

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  12. LOL! I don't think I could live in NYC. I can't even say I really enjoy visiting. I mean, I like things that are in NYC. I just wish I didn't have to walk on the sidewalks or ride in taxis to get to those places. (I need instant and private transportation. Maybe like brownie tunnels?)

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    1. I loved certain aspects of living in NYC. I would've loved it more had I made more money. But, hey, I guess you never get everything you want!

      Brownie tunnels. Yeah, that would be Awesome!!!

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  13. I went to NYC a long time ago for a weekend but honestly didn't get to see much. I'd love to spend a week (and stay at a posh place and have lots of spending $) but I don't think I'd ever want to live in a city.

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    1. Yeah, I live in Jacksonville now, and I think I'd go a bit north into "the sticks" if I had it to do again. Crazy shizzola happens in the city.

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  14. First, thanks for convincing me further (like it was necessary) that I never want to be within 200 miles of the Big Apple.

    Second, My lesson on begging was in Cincinatti leaving a Reds game. Stopped at a gas station, passing an old boy claiming he was "powerful hungry." I didn't have any cash, but was in-munchie myself, so I was buying a bag of chips for each of us. However, someone gave the old boy a fiver in the meantime, he cut the line with a 10 pound bag of ice, paid for it, and was off. Needless to say, more for me.

    Earlier at the stadium, a 30-ish guy was begging with the sign, "I won't lie, I want beer." I told my son that had I had cash, HIM I woulda gave a couple of bucks.

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    1. Sounds like you didn't really need ANY convincing, but you're welcome!

      Your At The Stadium story reminds me of one I heard from my aunt and uncle who live in Akron. A woman chose one of the busiest intersections in town wearing a bikini and holding a sign that read: NOT HOMELESS. I NEED THE MONEY FOR A BOOB JOB. Apparently, she was very flat chested (evidenced by the bikini) and she made enough dough for the job in a couple days and was outta there.

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  15. Robin, great stories of the city! You didn't comment on my "Manhattan" post so maybe you missed that one. You can find it at What Does Manhattan Say to You?. I'm looking for guest posts.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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    1. After reading this I did comment on your post. Let me know...

      Delete
  16. My one short trip to NYC was enough to convince me, though it's this country's Jewish "homeland," it ain't a place for me. I, like you, am too nice and naive.

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    1. You know what, Robyn? I think that's a GOOD thing.

      Delete
  17. GIRL WONDER ~
    I'm very late getting here but... I'm here. TA-DAA!

    My work schedule is permanently set now, and from Mondays through Wednesdays, I'm pretty much out of commission. The only online time I have to speak of is while at work (6:00 AM to 6:30 PM all three of those days), and I don't feel comfortable logging in and commenting from the work computer. I wouldn't want anyone where I'm employed to find out what I do and say on the Internet. (I'd be out of work faster'n you can say, "You mean you're THAT Stephen T. McCarthy?!?! You're FIRED! ...And no, I don't work for the Donald Trump campaign.)

    >>... The year was 1990. I just graduated college

    All the years you were in college, I was in college, too! Only I was at U.C.L.A., and I wasn't studying but working - full time for the campus Parking department. In October of '92, I moved to Prescott, Arizona. So while you were upping things, I was shifting down, from Los Angeles to Podunk - which turned out to be too much of a culture shock for me, and I moved back to L.A. (Oh, wait! You know that already, and how that worked out, huh? Because it's in the S.E.S.)

    I've been to NYC three times (and just drove right through it the fourth time). The first time was 1982 or '83. That was also the first time I'd ever been on a subway, which I thought was really trippy! Born and raised in L.A. I was used to traveling ABOVE the city streets via the complex freeway system. To suddenly be traveling UNDER the city streets and seeing that it really was just like I'd seen in all those movies from the 1970s - cool! Filthy and weird, but differently, oddly cool.

    Still enjoying your TSOML posts. I need to get my next one up after this next BOTB on the 15th.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    'Loyal American Underground'

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    1. Just the idea of you working for the Donald Trump campaign made me laugh.

      WELL, I left NYC in 1992 for Savannah, GA. So, it sounds like we both HEAVILY downshifted at the same time.

      I really liked the subway system (for the most part). My roommate had a few terrifying moments on them, but I was okay. One night I watched a screening of Silence of the Lambs and then had to ride the subway back to Queens. That was terrifying, but not because of anything that happened in real life. I was just seriously freaked out by that movie.

      Delete
  18. I don't have a soundtrack picked out yet. This is my first visit to your blog and it's an interesting project! Also, you have great comedic timing in your writing. Will have to look for more of your tales...

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    1. If you decide to start writing soundtrack posts, just let me know. I'll add your name to the list.

      I also have comedic timing for my life. So that works well.

      So glad you came by and hope we meet here again:)

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  19. Ha! Your poor feet! But I totally can relate to the NYC experience. Even the giving the lady money part. Ay!

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  20. I just followed Arlee's link over here. Sorry to have missed this post - I was sick at the time. That's a great story about your adventures in Manhattan. I can relate especially to not greeting people on the street. Same thing happened to me when I came here (from Germany, where strangers greet each other all the time). Guy stopped cold, gave me a nasty look and asked "Do I know you?" I never did it again, unless the other person said something first.

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Dazzle Me!