|
|
My favorite holiday, Halloween, offers me an excuse to exercise my imagination and creativity. Preparing for this holiday is like preparing for a presentation at work, except without limitations. Whatever concept motivates me, I pursue, regardless of others' opinions. My friends, though, all embrace and admire my ingenuity, sense of "devil may care," sense of humor, and creativity. I try to think up a crazy and fun costume and then bring the idea to life.
The photo above was taken in October 2003 at a Halloween party in Nyack, New York, directly across the Hudson River from where I live. In case you hadn't guessed, I was dressed as a sushi roll (a California roll to be specific). I got the idea to dress up as a sushi roll when I visited a grocery store and admired the shape and color of a California roll. I know that most people do not look at food and say, "Yes, I would like to look like that." Still, I disregarded what others might think and decided to have fun. For this costume, I bought packing peanuts and spent hours on my living room floor taping these peanuts together with Scotch tape. When I connected a sufficient number of packing peanuts I put glitter to make the color resemble the orange spice that appears on many California rolls. Inside the costume, I placed pieces of a garbage bag to represent seaweed. In addition, I also used toy vegetables. For comparison purposes, here is a picture of a real California roll.
In 2002, I dressed up as a tugboat, accompanied by a girlfriend, Anna Carey, who was dressed up as the Little Red Lighthouse. Work on a special event at the Little Red Lighthouse was one of Anna's responsibilities, as an employee of the New York City Parks Department. So, I figured why not have her flash lights and sound a horn whenever I approached? Unfortunately, the only horns I found were likely to deafen my fellow partygoers. A picture of the Little Red Lighthouse can be used to imagine Anna's costume. To get an idea of my costume, here is an image of a tugboat.
Only a few weeks later after Halloween that year, I marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. During this parade, I helped carry a balloon of Kermit the Frog. For the parade, my fellow balloon carriers and I wore matching green costumes. Here is a picture of the Kermit balloon as shot a year later.
Some of my other recent costumes were as follows:For most of my life, I have been fascinated by the NFL Draft. While I enjoy watching football, I am fascinated by the Draft. One of the few books on the NFL Draft is called The Meat Market. I was so fascinated by the Draft that I wrote an essay in library school about it. Because the essay is lengthy, I have converted it into a 797 MB file available in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. I have enclosed my NFL Draft essay to help people understand how passionate how I am about the subject and how fascinating I find it. While some people only see names and numbers, I see strategy and a chance to discuss scenarios. There is a strong connection between my interest in the Draft and my interest in strategic planning. I have even worked twice for ESPN at the NFL Draft at Madison Square Garden. I worked as a Runner, which is a equivalent to a Production Assistant. I worked for ESPN on the set of the Draft for a three days in April 1998 and then again for three days in April 1999. Here are a few links for those of you interested in the Draft.
Mel Kiper's analyses and forecasts of the Draft are very valuable. Also check out Mel's homepage. Other sources of articles about football scouts and general managers include The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly, and Gil Brandt of the NFL.I have a soft spot for dogs. Growing up, my family owned a black Labrador Retriever. Years later, I volunteered at the Pet Animal Welfare Society, also called PAWS. I think that PAWS is a wonderful organization that maintains outstanding facilities. PAWS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing homeless animals and placing them in loving new homes. PAWS rescues approximately 115 dogs and 320 cats annually. As a "no-kill" shelter, PAWS takes in many animals that faced euthanasia.
I completed courses in improvisational comedy during 1998 and 1999 at Chicago City Limits. This comedy club is a terrific place to visit for entertainment and for learning. Other comedy clubs in New York are stand up clubs. Good comedy clubs include Boston Comedy Club and Comic Strip Live. Comic Strip Live is a larger club than Boston Comedy Club and I found the quality of the comedians to be better as well.
I always look forward to my mikes with the Appalachian Mountain Club with optimism and possibility. I know that on every hike I will find relaxation, peace, and exercise. I began hiking with the Appalachian Mountain Club around 1996. I took up hiking after one day after looking for things to do. Excellent hiking supplies and outstand service are available from EMS.
As a boy, I enjoyed listening to stories told by librarians. Even today, I enjoy listening to recorded stories in the form of books on CDs. To pursue my interest, I attended Tellabration!, an annual event at which stories are told in a single weekend across the country. One of the most magical storytellers I have ever heard is Ron Sopyla. To learn more about storytelling in New York, visit the Storytelling Center of New York.
