I have never stood up in a brother’s wedding. This is an “I have never...” event that means a lot to me. While my Brother Abe and I had our ups and downs in our younger years, he is a man I have called one of my best friends for the better part of a decade, and being granted the honor of standing next to him when he ties the knot means more to me than words can express. In the months leading up to the wedding I became more and more excited by the prospect of being a part of he and Melissa’s wedding until I woke up today and found the actual day of his ceremony was suddenly upon us. In turn, I kicked myself out of bed this morning and geared up for what I knew was going to be an amazing day of memories, fun, and happiness. At 125 days into my “I have never...” journey, I knew today was going to be one of the highlights of my year of new experiences. There was no question about it...
The brothers three
Like a lot of the more outstanding experiences in my “I have never...” journey to date, my story about Abe and Melissa’s wedding will be brief. Let me state simply that this has been one of the happiest days I have been able to be a part of in some time. In my opinion, no aspect of the people, the place, the families, and the event could have made it better. Everything was just about as perfect as anyone could ever want it to be, and Abe and Melissa deserved nothing else. From the moment we began preparations for the day to the last song of the reception at night, we were in high spirits, excited, and, most importantly, happy. The bringing together of the Potter and Meinke families was met with open arms from all sides, and now I get to do something that felt right from the beginning of the relationship that brought us together today; call Melissa my sister.
I have been to a lot of weddings before, but this exposed me to something new. Everything just seemed to fit exactly where it was supposed to fit. Although I had some chances to get to know them over the years, this weekend reinforced that the Potter family is full of awesome people, and I learned that they truly love Abe like a part of their family. I also learned that Missy and her family can do more than put up with the craziness that is the Meinke/Kelm clan... they can actually keep up with us. Stated plainly, I have never seen two families meet one another with such openness and celebration over the course of two days. Additionally, I literally saw groups of people go from acquaintances to friends over the period of 12 hours. Things were right from the beginning of today’s events to the very end... They were just right.
Groomsmen "Whooping" it up
'Murica
Of course, I may be a little biased in this case, but I mean it sincerely when I say today was something special. I know I speak for every one of our friends and family when I say we are overwhelmed with the joy we feel for my Brother Abe and his wife (how crazy awesome does that sound!) Melissa. Based on today’s experience, I know the two of them are filled with, and surrounded by, love from all places. I would say here that everyone wishes the two of them all the happiness in the world, but my observations tonight make me believe they might just already have it...
The bride and groom
...Oh, and something tells me this won’t be the last time the wedding party, the Meinkes, and the Potters get together for a shindig. This was too much fun not to do again! (Abe and Missy, can we get you on a five year vow renewal plan or something?)
The first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Meinke
With all my love, I wish my Brother and Missy the best of everything in their life together and the best of everything in this world. I thank both of them for letting me be a part of this amazing day. It was an event that found its way into my heart where I will be happy to keep it for as long as I can. I love you both!
I have never
stayed at the Heidel House. I realize to most people this won’t mean anything,
but to me it’s a pretty big deal. Growing up in central Wisconsin, the Heidel
House Resort and Spa was known as one of the most elegant and lavish resorts
within any reasonable distance. Positioned on the east end of Green Lake in
Wisconsin, I have always known the Heidel House to be the place the affluent go
to spend a weekend getaway at one of the state’s most beautiful lakes. When I
was younger, the Heidel House’s reputation made seem as though it was almost
untouchable, and I thought for the longest time I would never have a chance to
stay at the resort. As of today, that changed when a major life event brought
me back to Green Lake and provided me the first opportunity in my life to stay
at the Heidel House.
You see,
tomorrow my brother Abe is getting married to his amazing fiancée Melissa, and
the two of them asked Rachael and I to stand up in their wedding. Honored by
the idea of being a part of my brother’s big day, we happily accepted our roles
in the wedding, which brought us to Green Lake today. With the wedding taking
place on the Heidel House grounds, we booked a room and prepared for an
unforgettable weekend. Of course, the first step in that process was making the
trip up north and finding our way to the resort, which led to today’s new
experience.
The entrance
Upon
arriving at the Heidel House, I was struck by the familiarity of the location.
In the years since I left my hometown of Princeton, the Heidel House property
has remained largely unchanged. As a result, I found it easy to track down the
hotel lobby and check into our room. Luckily, the process was fairly easy,
which led Rachael and I to find our room and unload our car. With armloads of
bags and wedding materials in our arms, we entered into our wing of the hotel
and made our way to our room. As we walked through the building, I took note of
the hotel’s basic, dated interior and typical hotel décor. Before we had even
made it into our room, I found myself slightly disappointed by the first
impression I received from the hotel. With a reputation of extravagance, I
guess I expected more from the Heidel House, but it was clear there wasn’t much
more to the place than any other run of the mill hotel.
$180 per night?!?!
Eventually,
Rachael and I found our hotel room and made our way inside. As with the other
parts of the hotel’s accommodation wings, I was surprised to find there was
nothing special about our room. It was simply a basic setup that would have
been equally at home in La Quinta or a Super 8. Two queen size beds covered in
basic hotel spreads and a full dresser supporting a television sat atop aged
green carpet that wound all the way to the door. The bathroom had flimsy,
hollow doors that led to weathered fixtures and a basic bathroom setup. It
wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the degree of quality I had in mind when I envisioned
the Heidel House during the days of my youth. After placing our bags in the
hotel room, I approached the one set of windows on the far side of the room and
looked out. Although we were staying at a lakeside resort, our room faced the
hotel’s main parking lot and overlooked the hotel lobby doors. “At least we can
see when people get here...” I said to Rachael as she joined me to take in the
view. At $180 per night, it was easy to feel disappointed with the
accommodations, but I knew the room would only serve as a resting place during
such a momentous weekend, and I was more than happy to fork over the dough to
be a part of Abe and Melissa’s big day.
The patio
Once our bags were organized and we were ready for the evening, Rachael and I joined my
brother and the rest of the wedding party for a few quick drinks as the final
materials and decorations for the reception dinner were being put together by a
handful of people. We took some time to talk through the plans for the evening
before the group dispersed to prepare for the rehearsal dinner. Given Rachael
and I were already prepared for the night, we took some time to walk around the
Heidel House grounds and take in the views of Green Lake. In the late afternoon
light, the gardens, terraces, and beaches along the resort’s shore provided a
peaceful backdrop for our walk. As we spent time walking the length of the
Heidel House property, it became more apparent what made the resort so special.
Its placement on one of the quietest shores of Green Lake and the amazing
sunset views offered by the grounds made it a uniquely peaceful place to spend
a weekend. While the accommodations could use a facelift, the scenery provided
plenty of reasons to stay at the Heidel House. Plus, the tradeoff gave us
plenty of reasons to get outside, which I wasn’t opposed to on a beautiful
weekend in early September.
After a
rehearsal dinner off of the resort grounds, Rachael and I found our way back to
the Heidel House and met back up with the wedding party at the onsite bar and
restaurant. For the remainder of the night we spent time with the wedding crew
telling stories and sharing laughs around the fire on a nearby patio
overlooking the lake. The sounds of our conversations and laughter were the
only things echoing through the stillness of the night, which provided a
constant undertone of serenity as we enjoyed our drinks and our company. There
was no doubt about it, we were having a relaxing, enjoyable evening lakeside,
which was an obvious strong point during my first stay at the Heidel House.
Ultimately, our pending obligations for tomorrow’s
ceremony and reception meant we all needed to call it a night. Sometime after
midnight I found my way back to our room where Rachael was already prepared for
bed. Luckily, I found the bed to be incredibly comfortable after the busy day,
which made it easy to transition from “party mode” to “sleep mode.” As I lay in
bed fighting off heavy eyelids to finish these remaining sentences, I can’t
help but look forward to tomorrow. I know it will be a day to remember; much
like my first experience staying at the Heidel House. Although the
accommodations weren’t exactly what I expected when I arrived, my first
experience staying at the Heidel House resort will be marked with the events
that made today so special. Walking with Rachael by the lake, enjoying drinks
in the boathouse bar, and being among good company around the fire are things
that will stick with me for a long time, and, to me, that’s enough to justify
the Heidel House’s storied reputation.
I have never been to a drag show. Quite honestly, this is
something I never had any desire to attend prior to my “I have never...” year.
While I’ve heard drag shows are highly entertaining events from many people
throughout the years, I just didn’t understand the appeal of seeing men dressed
in women’s clothing perform on stage. To me, a performance worth seeing
constituted more than cross dressing, grabbing a microphone, and getting on a
stage in front of a group of people. If I was going to go see a performance of
any kind, I wanted it to be a full experience of people with real, indisputabletalent, and before
I knew what went into a drag show I didn’t see how “talent” fit in the picture
of a drag show. That stated, I knew all of the positive comments I heard about
drag shows meant there must be something to them. In turn, I added attending a
drag show to my “I have never...” list early in my journey and kept my eyes
peeled for an opportunity to gain the experience.
As luck would have it, one of the acclaimed drag shows, Rupaul’s
Drag Race, happened to be coming through Madison this month. When Rachael
caught wind of the event a few months ago, she promptly made me aware of it,
which set into motion our plans to attend my first drag show tonight. Although
I was still a bit uncertain about what to expect from the event, I knew it was
likely going to be a memorable, entertaining, and slightly awkward experience.
As a result, I headed to the Barrymore Theatre in Madison with Rachael tonight,
and braced myself for an “I have never...” experience unlike any other before
it.
The intro...
Upon arriving at the Barrymore, I was stunned to see a
massive line of people winding down the street outside the theatre. I expected
the event to be well attended, but the sheer volume of people waiting to see
the show was far beyond what I anticipated. After getting our tickets and
clearing the line, Rachael and I found some seats near the center aisle and
settled in for the show. With nearly 45 minutes before the scheduled start time
of the Drag Race, we tinkered with our phones, chatted about what we expected
from the pending experience, and took time to people watch among the outwardly
diverse crowd of people clearly prepared for a party. The show hadn’t yet
begun, but I was already intrigued by many of the sights and sounds emanating
from the theatre around us.
Detox
Eventually, the theatre lights dimmed and the drag show
began with a musical number from the elegantly dressed hostess, Michelle
Visage. To my surprise, her voice was powerful and clear as it echo through the
theatre. Stated plainly, this girl could sing. We listened on as she worked
through the song, which contained a soaring melody wrapped around some
suggestive and downright raunchy lyrics. The mix of humor and quality
entertainment was great to see so early in the show, and it made me look
forward to the body of main performances that would inevitably come. With her
song complete, Michelle introduced herself as the only true woman that would
performing at the show before running through a list of each performer that
would be making an appearance throughout the night. Although the list of names
was unfamiliar to me, the crowd erupted in applause with Michelle’s
announcement of each new name. The response made me realize the drag show
performers we were about to see were celebrities of the drag world, which made
me hopeful the level of entertainment would continue through the night.
Manila
Working the crowd
Once Michelle’s introduction was over, the first performer,
Willam, took the stage via the theatre’s main aisle. With energy flowing
through each of his movements, he danced his way to the stage and took the
spotlight. Scantily clad in leather and latex women’s clothing, Willam’s
appearance was a bit awkward for me at first, but his talent and energy on the
stage were quick to distract me from those initial feelings of seeing a grown
man masquerading as a woman in full makeup wearing next to nothing in front of
a group of people. The performance showcased a blend of song, dance, and humor
as Willam worked the stage and the crowd. With a taste for the profane,
Willam’s first performance made it clear we were in for an entertaining and
nasty show that sought only to push the envelope as far as physically possible.
With Willam’s performance complete, Michelle Visage returned
to stage and introduced the next performer, Detox, who took to the stage behind
closed curtains. With music slowly swelling, the large red pieces of fabric
separated to reveal Detox in an artistic pose wrapped in an elaborate white
feather display. The accompanying extended black eyelashes and bright red
lipstick made it clear Detox had spent hours achieving an elegant look that I
will admit was quite convincing. Like Willam before him, Detox worked through
his song with a well-choreographed performance, albeit a little less in your
face than the performance that opened the show.
Duet
Two performances in, it was clear my earlier perspective on
drag shows lacking talent was clearly off base. These men were entertainers to
the fullest extent of the word. With their body as their canvas, it was clear
they spent hours preparing their costumes and makeup, which was amazing to see
in and of itself. Of course, they also had obvious stage talent that outshone
some modern popular performers. Say what you will about the perceived taboos of
their entertainment genre of choice, but these men were real performers that
have mastered their art form. Sure, it is awkward at times to be a straight man
watching men performing in women’s attire, but their talent is obvious when you
get to experience it.
The intro to the song "Nails"
...and there you have it.
This pattern continued over the next two hours. Rachael and
I watched as other performers, including Manila, Alaska Thunderfuck, and Sharon
Needles, took on performances of their own and participated in duets of
original songs. With each performance the energy and excitement of the audience
around us grew. Everyone in attendance was engaged and entertained, which
anyone would say is difficult to do for a two-hour period. While there were
times the performers’ live singing left something to be desired, their
costumes, interactions with the audience, and humor more than made up for what
could have been potential lulls in the performance. Every one of the drag
queens on the stage blasted through the boundaries of what many would define as
social norms with extravagant displays, charged words., and interactive
performances. Needless to say, the entertainment value of the event was
obvious, and I was surprised to find I was having a good time.
Cheeseheads and PBRs? Well, you fit right in!
Ultimately, the show began to draw toward a conclusion with
some ruckus duets that made no effort to filter their lyrical content. As
members of the audience were singled out as the focus of some songs and rows of
people became a part of the drag queens’ performance area, the crowd moved to
their feet and cheered on the entertainers. There was little room for anyone,
regardless of persuasion, to feel anything but entertained by the unrestrained
performances and the hilarity of the drag queens’ more profane moments. With
movements between music and what could easily be defined as comedy routines, the
performers were making the most of every moment on stage. It was obvious the
queens were there to have a good time, and they doing everything possible to
make sure every person in the audience having the same experience.
Take a bow!
With one final arching musical piece the event, and my first
experience with a drag show, drew to a close. As Rachael and I made our way out
of the theatre, we discussed some of the more memorable moments of the
performance and talked about my thoughts on the experience. While the core of
the drag show was what I expected (men dressed as women on stage), the quality
of the entertainment floored me. Once I was able to get past the apparent awkwardness
of watching men perform in elaborate drag, it was easy to appreciate the time,
effort, and expertise required to pull off such a show. The performers in
Rupaul’s Drag Race are the real deal, and they make it easy to respect the
effort they put into making sure everyone in attendance has a good time at such
a unique performance. Although I didn’t expect I would walk away with such a
perspective, I can honestly say I would attend a drag show again. If presented
the opportunity. It was certainly a new experience, but it wasn’t a bad one. In
fact, Rachael and I had a really good time, and that makes me glad I made the
decision to gain a new experience I likely would have never gained if not for
my “I have never...” journey.
I have never seen Animal House. As a fan of comedies, it actually surprised me to find that I had never made time to see this cult classic. While I recall seeing bits and pieces of the film in passing on nostalgic television shows about comedy and John Belushi, I never saw more than a few minutes of the film at any given time and certainly didn’t see the film in the context of the whole Animal House story. Of course, every comment I ever heard about the movie made reference to its influence on modern comedies, to its hilarity, and to its underlying genius in reflection on the United States during the 1960s. While I knew I should likely see Animal House at one point, the idea of taking time to see the movie wasn’t a high priority, and certainly not during my “I have never...” year. However, that perspective changed when a friend of mine, Ross, made me aware the local Marcus Cinemas were playing Animal House for free on the big screen this week. As a result, I decided I would shuffle some things on my schedule around to see Animal House for the first time. After all, it was unlikely I would encounter a chance to see the film in a theater again, and spending a night at the theater seemed a great way to break up another full week of new experiences.
Animal House? In the theater?!?
Upon arriving at the theater, I greeted Ross and his friend Jon who were waiting for me at the front door. With some time to kill before the show, we entered the theater and made our way to the in-house bar. After enjoying a drink we ordered a second round and found our way to theater shortly before Animal House was scheduled to start. Much to my surprise, the theater was nearly empty when we arrived. Although it was 9:30 on a Wednesday night, I assumed a free showing of Animal House would have drawn more people, but that ultimately ended up not being the case. As the opening scenes of the movie began to play, I took stock of the people in attendance and found our group was one of three in the theater to see the show. While my initial response was one of disbelief, the forthcoming movie made me quickly transition to a state of excitement. Regardless of how many people were in attendance, I knew I was about to see a famed comedy for the first time, which was all that really mattered to me.
Within the first few minutes of Animal House starting the building plot already had me laughing. The outlandish characters that occupied the fraternities of Faber College and the pure dysfunction of the Delta House made it obvious the story would delve into the ridiculous and the hilarious in short order. I watched on as the Faber College Dean hatched his plan to remove the Delta fraternity and its members from campus, and laughed my way through the rivalry-based antics of the Delta and Omega crews. The Omega’s over-confidence and fanatic devotion to fraternal traditions, proper conduct, and perceived greatness provided ample opportunity for the rowdy Delta crew to take potshots, which provided one memorable scene after another as the movie progressed. Early on, I could see why Animal House stands as a comedy favorite in many people’s books, and we were less than half way through the film.
Yes!
Even as the story progressed and the Delta’s faced the revocation of their charter, their hilarious actions and revelry remained unfettered. The lack of concern over the end of the Delta era and their possible expulsion from school made it easy to see the group lived life for every moment and had little concern for what the future would bring. Although flickers of concern over their futures emerged from time to time, the Delta crew held steady their rebellious nature and unrelenting effort to stick it to “the system.” From the toga party, to the road trip, to one ultimate finale of parade hijacking, float destruction, and outright chaos, The Delta crew kept me laughing throughout the movie. Sure, their actions were sourced in downright carelessness, but they were damn funny.
"Sorry."
Parade Chaos!
Eventually, the film drew to a close with a final hilarious act of listing the graduation years and the careers of each main character in the film. When the credits started rolling, I was actually a little disappointed the movie had already drawn to a close. I simply felt there was so much more story left to be told, but I’m sure the writer had full intention of letting the viewer decide how the Delta House spent their remaining years at Faber College. With the movie finished, Ross, Jon, and I left the theater and chatted a bit before we headed our separate ways. Although it was approaching midnight, it was clear Animal House left each of us in high spirits. To me, that was a good enough testament to the movies humor and its impact on every college comedy that has been created since. Needless to say, I’m glad I took time to finally see Animal House. The opportunity to see it in a cinema provided me a memorable way to experience what is likely one of the best college comedies ever made, and, to me, there isn’t a better way I could have spent this Wednesday evening.
I have never eaten a Bhut Jolokia, also known as the Ghost Pepper. This unassuming little chili pepper is billed as one of the hottest peppers in the world. At over 1,000,000 units on the Scoville Heat Scale in some instances, the Ghost Pepper is roughly three times hotter than the hottest Habanero peppers ever recorded. Given its status as such a mysterious and powerful food, I figured eating a Ghost Pepper was an experience I should probably gain during my year of “I have never...” experiences. While I knew eating the pepper would most certainly result in a hell of a lot of discomfort, it was all but certain I would walk away from the experience with an uncommon victory and an amazing story to tell. As a result, I tracked down a source for the experience and scheduled an evening to eat a Ghost Pepper for the first time. Now, this blog entry is going start a little differently than any other I have written. For the first time since starting my “I have never...” blog I’m providing a disclaimer. It is literally hours after I ate the Ghost Pepper and it is still affecting my body. While the intense heat on my tongue and throat have subsided somewhat, my stomach still feels like it is filled with melted wax. Stated plainly, don’t try this at home. The Ghost Pepper is insanely hot and causes searing pain. As this blog entry will demonstrate, describing the actual feeling is very, very difficult, but when I say it is hot, believe me. Stated plainly, this little red vegetable is HOT.
The Bhut Jolokia, AKA The Ghost Pepper
With that out of the way, I’ll dive into the story of tonight’s “I have never...” event. My first experience with a Ghost Pepper began when I arrived home from work this evening. After obtaining one of the peppers from a co-worker who had a source for the vegetables (thanks, Kristen!), I decided I would give the pepper a taste test before committing to eating the whole thing. As a result, I grabbed a knife from the kitchen and cut into the pepper to remove a sliver of the vegetable for consumption. A moment after the knife plunged into the pepper I felt a sudden, subtle stinging in my nostrils and sinuses. That’s right, this pepper was hot enough that its aroma was enough to inflict a burning sensation in my body. Once I realized what was happening, I set down the knife, leaned back from the pepper, and looked at Rachael with wide eyes. “The smell is burning my nostrils,” I said in a quiet, concerned voice. Rachael responded by approaching the plate upon which the pepper was resting and taking a sniff. “Oh my God,” she said as the same sensation hit her, causing her to back away from the pepper. Suddenly, the idea of what I was getting myself into became real. This was going to hurt. Although the effects of the pepper’s aroma made me somewhat nervous, I wasn’t about to back away from the experience. As a result, I returned to the pepper and quickly cut off a portion of the vegetable. Without hesitation, I popped the tiny red piece of Ghost Pepper in my mouth and let it rest on my tongue for a moment. Initially, the taste was sweet and flavorful. In fact, it was actually one of the most delicious peppers I have tasted... until the heat set in. After a few seconds delay a rush of intense heat swelled through my taste buds resting directly beneath the pepper. The heat was sharp and prolonged to the extent that with each passing second a renewed feeling of shock hit me when the heat of the pepper didn't peak. It just kept getting hotter until it literally felt like the tip of my tongue was being branded by a fine point of heated steel. I couldn’t believe the experience, and then it dawned on me; I had only consumed a sliver of the whole pepper.
The Stare Down
With pause I sat down at my dining room table with a glass of milk and the pepper before me. For a few minutes I mulled over what the full experience was going to feel like and how I would be able to handle it. Staring at the pepper, I thought about every possible outcome and about everything that could go wrong, with unlikely, and even foolish, scenarios forcing their way to the front of my mind. Eventually, I shook myself out of my racing thoughts and told myself there was only one way to know what the experience would bring. As a result, I took a deep breath, grabbed the Ghost Pepper by the stem, and raised it to my mouth. With my head cocked backward slightly, I slowly lowered the pepper into my mouth and bit down.
At first, the pepper’s presence in my mouth mirrored my earlier experience with a sample of the vegetable. As I chewed I didn’t feel immediate, overwhelming heat. I just tasted the sweet taste of the pepper as it rolled across my taste buds. Of course, I knew the initial experience wasn’t going to last. Just as my thoughts turned back to the coming ferocity of the pepper’s legendary heat, the Ghost Pepper made its full presence known. With shocking speed the heat of the pepper consumed my mouth and throat, once again blasting through what I perceived as a maximum with each passing second. As I fought the initial burst of heat I swallowed the pepper down and winced with pain.
HOT!
No more than 30 seconds into the experience I was struggling to deal with the heat, which moved me to ask Rachael to prepare a second glass of milk. Fighting through the burning sensation consuming my mouth and throat, I opened my mouth to speak. With the full intensity of the Ghost Pepper hitting me I found it hard to formulate words through the heat. It literally felt like I had a ball of fire in the back of my throat, which made it nearly impossible to concentrate long enough to formulate a sentence. Eventually, I started forcing out small bursts of words through the pain, only to find the effects of the Ghost Pepper were so powerful my vocal chords could only make strained noises in my effort to ask Rachael for her assistance. With each small set of words I let out I could feel my voice wanting to collapse into silence around the pain, which caused me to trail off with statements like “Holy crap!”, “Oh my God!”, and “F***!” each time I tried to speak. The heat persisting, I suddenly realized only a few minutes had passed since I first bit into the pepper.
DAIRY! Give me Dairy!
Over the next 30 minutes the heat from the Ghost Pepper continued to dominate the inside of my mouth and throat. Five minutes into the experience I had already drank three glasses of milk, which provided the only temporary reprieve I had from the overwhelming burning sensation. Beads of sweat were forming on my brow, and my nose and eyes were running like leaky faucets. My body was in full freak out mode, and my mouth was still on fire. Over time, that aspect of the experience slowly began to subside, but the peak of the pepper’s intensity incrementally crept down my throat. What had started as the hottest feeling I have ever had in my mouth became the hottest feeling I have ever had at the back tongue, then the hottest feeling I have ever felt at the top of my throat, and then the hottest feeling I have ever felt in the center of my chest. Although the heat in my mouth became relatively tolerable after the first half of an hour, it was clear a new battle was just beginning. The Ghost Pepper, with all its intensity was moving into my stomach, and the heat wasn’t winding down.
Caleb is a saaaaaad (and hot) panda...
In the gut... and making a fire
This was about the time my body told me to keel over...
This was my final push before I caved and laid down
About 45 minutes after I ate the pepper I started to experience a feeling similar to heartburn in the pit of my stomach. Although the tally of glasses of milk increased to five by that time (and a cup of yogurt), the heat in my stomach increased steadily. I can only describe the feeling as being like a moderate stomach cramp combined with what I imagine it would be like to swallow some embers from a dying fire. Basically, it felt very hot and unpleasant, and it was clear it was going to linger for some time. With the intensity of the heat growing in my stomach, my body eventually told me to curl up and put pressure on my stomach. At first, I simply leaned over in my chair with my head toward the ground and clenched my stomach. When that wasn’t enough, I moved to my living room and laid down on the couch. While the whole experience was periodically entertaining for Rachael, I obviously wasn’t digging the feeling of the pepper in my gut. In retrospect, I can honestly say the feeling of the Ghost Pepper in my stomach, while not as outwardly overwhelming as the first few minutes of having the pepper in my mouth, was probably the worst part of the experience. Its presence affected my whole body and made me feel like I was sick but not. Eventually, I started to feel a tingling in my arms and legs, and the bottoms of my feet and my palms became clammy with sweat. It was strange, and, of course, it was hot.
Fetal position. That's all I could do.
Ultimately, the powerful heat in my stomach began to slowly dissipate. Nearly one and a half hours after I first bit down on the Ghost Pepper I started to feel somewhat normal, although my stomach still felt like I had just eaten a spicy meal. After a little more time passed, my body finally gave me the unconscious signal that it was ok to stretch out my legs again and take to my feet to move around the house. The feeling of relative normality following the experience with the Ghost Pepper was more than welcomed, and it made me feel like I had claimed a little victory over one of the hottest peppers in the world. Of course, I know full well the Ghost Pepper eventually has to make its exit, so I know I haven’t won quite yet.
Success?
Today I ate a Ghost Pepper, and I came out somewhat unscathed. While I write this I can still feel a small ball of heat working its way through my body, but the worst of the experience is certainly over. After gaining the experience of eating a Ghost Pepper I can now say it was hotter than I could have ever imagined, and the reality is the pepper was likely a “moderately” spicy Ghost Pepper given it wasn’t grown in equatorial conditions. That thought makes me shudder at the thought of how spicy the Ghost Pepper can really get. Now, let me be clear that the Ghost Pepper is very delicious in moderation (and by that I mean a very, very tiny amount), but at full force this thing can send you to the floor. That stated, when it is all said and done, I’m happy I ate a Ghost Pepper. I emerged from the other side with a good story and a highly unique experience, and that’s what I’m all about. Now the only question that remains is “Would I do it again?” Despite the intensity of this experience, I can’t say that I have a straight answer on that one. I guess only time will tell...
I have never
attended a volunteer appreciation dinner. While this may seem like a “gimme” “I
have never...” event at first glance, the fact that I have been unable to
attend any volunteer appreciation event, including those in my “I have
never...” year, after volunteering made me think it was time to gain the
experience for the first time. After all, the idea of takingtime to relax and have some fun with my
fellow volunteers were definitely things that appealed to me, and yesterday’s
volunteer experience at Ironman gave me more than enough reasons celebrate our
contributions. As a result, Rachael and I decided we would set aside time this
evening to attend the Ironman Volunteer Appreciation event at the Monona
Terrace this evening to help me gain my first experience with a volunteer
appreciation event.
The banquet hall
After
wrapping up my workday I immediately drove home and picked up Rachael for the
event. Together, we made our way down to the Monona Terrace and found our way
into the Ironman Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. The event was easy to find
considering the over 4,000 volunteers that helped make the Ironman event
possible. While not all of the volunteers were in attendance for the event, the
banquet hall was bustling with the activity of hundreds of people as we entered
the space. In response to the sight before us, Rachael and I paused for a brief
moment just beyond the banquet halls doors to take in our surroundings. A video
screen and stage sat before dozens of large round tables scattered across the
beautiful room serving as the backdrop for the event. Throughout the room our
fellow volunteers filled the room, with those in the crowd enjoying a meal,
enjoying one another’s company, and relaxing with some drinks. From the moment
walking into the room the energy and high spirits of the crowd were apparent. A
smile crossed my face as a single thought popped into my head, “We’re among
good people...”
Rachael and
I were quick to track down some food after we set our feet back into motion
across the remaining portion of the banquet hall. At the far end of the room,
two tables containing a spread of Mexican cuisine sat waiting for us.
Fortunately, we arrived after the first big rush of volunteers looking to put
together a meal, which made our effort to put together a plate easy and
convenient. With our food in hand, Rachael and I crossed toward the middle of
the hall in search of some empty chairs at one of the many tables in the hall.
At first the task appeared rather daunting. The volunteers in attendance had
all but occupied every chair at every table, which sent Rachael and I toward
the back of the room in our continued search. Luckily, we happened upon two of
our friends, Patrick and Keith, who happened to be saving two empty seats at
their table. While we were completely unaware they had volunteered for the
Ironman event, the coincidence of their presence and the random act of saving
two empty seats worked out perfectly. Equally surprised to see us, Patrick and
Keith were quick to offer the empty seats at their table to us, which Rachael
and I happily accepted.
The first place finishers!
As Rachael
and I nibbled away at our meals we caught up with Patrick and Keith, talked a
bit about the Ironman event, and listened to the male and female first place
finishers (a husband and wife!) give a brief speech from the stage at the front
of the room. Their comments on the race and sincere thanks were met with cheers
and applause from the audience of volunteers, who obviously experienced the
same feelings of respect and inspiration I felt in response to their words.
With the speeches complete, a local radio disc jockey took the stage and
introduced some members of the Ironman event team, who also offered their
sincere thanks and provide some background information that demonstrated the
2013 Ironman race was one of the most successful events to date. Their words
evoked the same sense of pride in me that had surfaced during my volunteer
effort yesterday. Although I was only one person in a massive machine of
planning, volunteers, and participants, their words made me feel I was an
important part of the event. Their message was personal and authentic, and it
made me happy I had been a part of the event. Eventually, their speeches
concluded with a brief awards ceremony for the best volunteer team leaders and
aid stations during the Ironman race. Among the winners was the aid station
Rachael and I had volunteered at yesterday, aid station number four, which won
the award for the cleanest aid station in the race (not to brag or anything).
The video recap
Following
the speeches and award ceremonies, a door prize raffle commenced. Dozens of
attendees won prizes from local businesses and from the Ironman organization,
which served as one more obvious “thank you” from the Ironman man team to all
of the volunteers that assisted with the triathlon. In addition, a video of the
2013 Ironman race was played on the massive screen at the front of the room
shortly after prizes were handed out, which put the uniform efforts of the
entire volunteer team in perspective and made me realize the scope of the event
Rachael and I had helped make possible. It was a moving moment that reflected
on some amazing people and athletes that contributed to the 12th
annual Ironman Madison event. At the end of the presentation I sat in awe of
the story to which Rachael and I contributed. The only thing I could think was
that our efforts paled in comparison to the drive, commitment, and resolve
demonstrated by the Ironman planners, organizers, and participants. They are
people everyone should look up to and aspire to be like... Period.
My lovely lady and I working the photobooth
Eventually, the night drew to a close with a final
round of door prize raffles and a free for all swag handout from the stage.
Rachael and I said our goodbyes to Patrick and Keith before we made a quick pit
stop in the Ironman photo booth on our way out of the building. With that, my
first full experience with the Ironman event came to a conclusion. As I write
this blog entry I have the picture of Rachael and I in the photo booth resting
before me, and I can’t help but feel that moment will resonate for some time. I
know every time I look at that photo I will be reminded of my first experience volunteering at Ironman, of the inspired and accomplished feelings that came
with that experience, and of the complete happiness I felt when the photo was
taken. Although it may still be the rush of the whole experience running
through me, right now I can only say Ironman has me hooked. Stated plainly,
next year can’t come soon enough.
I have never
volunteered at the Ironman triathlon. Although I know people that have
volunteered at this annual event for years, I have never taken the time to
offer my assistance in making the race possible. In many cases this was simply
the result of my ignorance in regard to the race’s occurrence, which left me in
the dark it was happening until I began to see the familiar signs of the course
being setup around downtown. With knowledge the race relies on thousands of
volunteers to prepare the course, help the participating athletes transition
between phases, staff aid stations, and provide medical assistance along the
140.6 mile racecourse, I made a commitment to myself that I would volunteer to
assist at Ironman for my first time during my “I have never...” year. After
all, doing so helped me gain a new experience, and it fit my “I have never...” objective of volunteering at one new opportunity each month. As a result, I
kept my eyes peeled for notices about the race and narrowed in on some
volunteer shifts I could make possible. Eventually, this resulted in Rachael
and me signing up to volunteer our assistance at marathon aid station number
four this afternoon. While I anticipated our efforts would provide a volunteer
experience unlike any other, I would eventually walk away from the experience
feeling more uplifted and inspired than I have from any other volunteer
experience to date.
The truck
Our day
began with a trip to the University of Wisconsin boathouse, which served as the
location for aid station four in today’s Ironman race. Upon arriving, Rachael
and I were greeted by two station leaders and a substantial group of volunteers
eager to begin their volunteer shift. After a brief explanation of our plan of
attack, our organizers informed us that our first duty would be to setup the
aid station before the Ironman athletes hit the third leg of the race.
Fortunately, the 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike race the preceded the marathon
meant we had several hours to unload all of our station supplies and setup
individual stations to provide food, water, and supplies to the runners as they
passed our location over several laps of the marathon loop.
With our
plan laid out, I immediately offered my assistance in unloading the moving
truck full of supplies we would be dispersing throughout of aid station
location. Happy to accept the offer, our station leaders worked with me to
establish an assembly line approach to pulling the boxes of supplies from the
truck and handing them off to other volunteers for placement at designated
locations around our aid station. As I pulled box after box from the palettes
in the truck, it quickly became apparent we could speed the process by having
more volunteers handing items from the truck to the nearly two dozen volunteers
on the ground. In response, several more volunteers climbed into the truck
alongside me and began lending their hand in our unloading efforts. In minutes
we had developed a fast paced, teamwork approach to clearing the palettes of
goods from the back of the moving truck, which kept the line of volunteers on
the ground churning in a constant cycle. Eventually, those efforts resulted in
our team dispersing goods at both main areas of our aid station well ahead of
schedule, which set into motion preparation efforts to get the water and food
goods ready for the runners.
Unloading!
Fortunately,
our earlier efficiency in unloading all of the materials for the aid station
gave us plenty of time to organize and set up the materials at our location.
After taking a brief break lakeside, our team returned to our setup duties
around 12:15, which gave us more than enough time to get all of the food and
drink items prepared for the race. Our preparedness eventually caused another
lull in activity until the sound of a ringing cowbell and cheering began to
slowly creep our way. Suddenly a brightly colored jersey appeared down the
lakeside path, which meant one thing; the runners were officially on their way
through our aid station. Excited by the prospect of our hard work being put to
good use helping the runners, everyone on our team cheered and applauded the
first runner before we hurriedly gathered our trays of food and cups to ready
ourselves for the coming waves of Ironman participants. Our position in the aid
station defaulted Rachael and I to food duty, which prompted us to grab a
variety of food trays we had prepared minutes earlier. Another woman volunteer,
Brady, was quick to join us at our location, which gave us the ability to get
all six of our food trays out for the runners. Shortly before the first runner
passed our location, the three of us divvied up responsibilities, which put
Brady on potato chips, put Rachael on protein bars and Gu duty, and put me on
cookie and pretzel duty.
Ready to go!
With the
first runner closing in our location, we promptly grabbed our designated trays
and line up along the racecourse with the rest of the volunteers at our
location. Then in the first brief moment of excitement, the first place runner
breezed past our location. Although he opted for water and sugary drinks over
all of the trays Brady, Rachael, and I had on display, the combined feeling of
experiencing the unbelievable athleticism of the passing athlete and the warmth
that came with knowing I was helping make the athletes goals and dreams
possible was overwhelmingly powerful. It was impossible to feel anything but
excited and proud of my decision to volunteer, and all I had really done is
help unload a truck and hold up some trays of food. It was simple, but it meant
a lot to me to be there lending a hand and gaining that experience. I couldn’t
think of any better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
This feeling
continued over the next few hours as Rachael and I worked through the rest of
our volunteer shift. As time passed the waves of runners passing our station
grew in size and frequency, which kept us busy throughout the afternoon;
however, the feeling of excitement and honor that came with helping the Ironman
athletes never lessened in intensity. This positive feeling made the remaining
portion of our volunteer shift fly by in what felt like a matter of moments. As
a result, I didn’t feel like I was ready to wrap up my volunteer effort when Rachael
and I were inevitably relieved by the second wave of volunteers at our station.
In turn, Rachael and I decided to stick around after volunteer shift ended to assist
our aid station crew in any way possible. Over the next hour we helped the rest
of our team with racecourse cleanup and maintaining supply stocks at the aid
station. With activity buzzing all around us, we did our best to continue
helping until it became obvious the second wave of volunteers had all of the
processes covered, which prompted Rachael and I to reluctantly draw our first
Ironman volunteer experience to a close.
On our way home Rachael and I talked
briefly about the volunteer experience and about the amazing degree of
athleticism we witnessed throughout the day. In our remarks it was apparent we
both felt the positive, rewarding feeling that echoed throughout our aid
station throughout the day. Although I anticipated this volunteer experience
would be highly unique before today’s events, the sense of accomplishment and
joy I felt on our ride home was unlike that of any other volunteer experience I
have had to date. I still can’t pinpoint what the source, but something about
volunteering at the Ironman event made it stand out among my “I have never...”
experiences to date. I have never been so inspired and felt so proud in
response to a single event before, and I know that will stick with me for some
time. Needless to say, this is one volunteer experience I would gladly do
again... and I intend to do just that this time next year.
