One post tonight wasn't really enough, because I still want to give background on this tour and my co-workers and the stops we've already made before I began this blog, but I also don't want to write an entry that's 8 miles long. So separate entries is how I will break things into manageable pieces. Plus I don't want to go to sleep yet.So this pic is of three of my co-workers. Our team is like this: We have 6 people, plus our semi driver (as in, semi-truck, not someone who only sort of drives).
Two guys, Jeremy and Tim, drive in a big white truck that pulls our generator and satellite. They handle the mechanical, technical and IT aspects of our daily setup and breakdown. During the days they hang out in their truck napping and watching movies, and stepping in to help if something technical or mechanical goes wrong.
Then there are four of us that travel in a 12 passenger van. We are the customer service people, the ones who interact with the public, and we also handle many aspects of setup and breakdown that aren't so intricate like signage, tables, chairs, cleaning, etc.
The three in the picture are the other customer service folks, from left to right: Rasheedah, Kim and Nick.
Rasheedah is from San Franscisco and has done lots of marketing tours before, including one with Nike where she would go with a team to soccer events to promote Nike shoes. She says "hella" a lot and sometimes reads the bible in the van. You can see she's not overweight at all and yet she eats more and more often than almost anyone I know. Lots of power bars in between meals and snacks in the van, including a jar of Vlasic pickles, that is currently open but not being refrigerated. She listens to techno music and gospel. I think she is around 28 or 29.
Kim is from Chicago and actually lives about 3 blocks away from me. She used to work on the Out of the Darkness suicide overnight walk for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention that our company used to handle; when we lost that project last September, she moved over to Komen on the Go. I don't know much about her other than she had a brother who died, and she has a tatoo on her lower back that honors him. She hates debating and does not participate in debates or spirited discussions at all. Also, she and Nick are dating. She is 26.
Nick is from Minnesota and considers it the most beautiful and best place on earth. At restaurants he always asks the servers for their recommendations. He has good music taste, though he sometimes listens to Jesus music in the van (not the subtle Creed kind, the straight up "He is our savior, Jesus died for our sins" kind). He used to be very overweight. He considers each and every purchase very thoroughly and agonized in particular over a recent luggage purchase hence the photo in the luggage department taken in a TJ Maxx in Rutland, Vermont. He is 26.
There are a couple interesting things to note. One is, in the three people above whom I travel with and work with most, no one EVER swears. Seriously! Most of you know how infrequently I swear, yet somehow in this group I feel like a potty mouth for saying "shit" when my thumb gets smashed by a metal bar. It's very odd.
And there is never any mention of sex. Not that I am advocating dirty jokes or sitting around having detailed discussions- but I also cannot recall a time since 6th grade I was around a group of people of similar age when nothing sexual was EVER mentioned. Also very odd.
I must mention I was very surprised when the Jesus music started playing in the van, especially b/c I had mentioned during my first night with the group that I am Jewish. To me it's like, here's yet another instance of Christians being assumptive and dominating religious culture. Does that sound too harsh? Probably because I considered myself agnostic until I was about 21, I have always been very sensitive to when religion, any religion, is being forced on me. But ESPECIALLY when they already knew I am Jewish!
Also, there is never any sarcasm. Ever! And no, I'm not just being sarcastic about that. Everyone is very chipper and upbeat and go get 'em, to the point of syrupy obnixousness at times. Lots of "Definitely!" and "Perfect!" and "Awesome!" Oh how I miss the cynicism and biting wit of my virtual team co-workers....honest to God, this is what being in Pleasantville must be like. Remember that movie?
Ok, that's enough for tonight, I think its bath time. Tomorrow we are back on the rez for a second day before driving down to spend the night in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Then we have a couple travel days and a couple days off before a major Major event in Paramus, New Jersey with an LPGA breast cancer charity event. So look forward to more writings soon!
