About ten minutes after the kid called his mom, I saw some wild driver come flying into the parking lot. This lady was yelling before she even stepped out of the car. As she walked towards the ticket booth she was screaming and cursing at me. When she was close enough for me to hear her clearly through the glass window separating us, she asked me why her son had been kicked out of the theater and why he couldn't get his money back. I didn't know why he had been kicked out, but I tried to politely explain why he didn't get his refund.
Not satisfied with my answer she demanded to speak to my manager. So I got on the phone and asked him to come out and talk to her. He told me he would come out as soon as he finished what he was doing. I put down the phone and told her he would be out in a little bit. "No!" she yelled "I want to talk to him right now!" Not wanting her to get anymore hysterical than she was, I said that I would go into the back office to get him. I asked a friend to watch the ticket box for me, than made my way for the back.
The mother than charged through the front door and started following me. I had to turn around and explain to her that that only employees were allowed in the back for safety reasons. She reluctantly stayed where she was, but continued yelling at me. As I neared the door I heard her yell, "Yea, not such a tough guy now are ya!" At that comment I nearly whirled around and gave her a piece of my mind. The only thing that stopped me was my fear of losing my job and possibly ending up in court for what I wanted to say to her.
So I stepped through the door to find my manager at work on the computer. I asked him to come out and talk to the mother. He tried asking me to get her to wait longer, but I argued that she was getting hostel and was refusing to leave until she spoke to him. So he dragged himself away from the desk and followed me outside. I took my spot in the ticket booth, while he asked the mother what the problem was.
When she started yelling about what was wrong, he asked her to step outside with him so she didn't disturb the other customers. He than gave her pretty much the same explanation I gave her about the refund. After basically telling him the reasoning was stupid and yelling at me again to validate her story about what happened, she asked why her son always seemed to be getting into trouble with us. When he tried to tell the mom her son had a history of causing trouble at our theater, she again flipped. Now I understood why I wasn't allowed to give the kid his refund.
Deciding that there was nothing else he could do to calm this lady down, he told her he was done talking with her and tried to walk away. But she continued to press on with her argument. As a last resort he told her that if she didn't get off the property, he was going to call the police. As she walked off with her son, she gave us the middle finger and yelled "F-ck you and f-ck this whole place". What a wonderful role-modal for her son. After she left my manager apologized to me for having to deal with that. I told him it was alright.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Big Mouth Part 1
I'm sure that anyone that has gone to the movie theater enough have dealt with this situation. Your watching the movie and some obnoxious teenager or teenagers are making a bunch of noise and interrupting the film. So you wait for a theater employee to kick them out, but no one comes to have them taken out of the theater. This is because when it comes kicking people, especially teens out of a theater, it has to be done very carefully. The reason for this is that the customer can become extremely hostile when they are asked to leave.
They will keep fighting until it gets to the point that you need to call the police to have them removed from the theater. Or in some of our cases, they called the the police on our theater and instead got themselves into trouble with the officers. The worst people to kick out are teens. The reason for this is that about eighty percent of the time they will call their parents for help. So then we have to deal with mom or dad who throw threats at us because they think their child was treated unfairly. I want to share about a time when a mother threw tantrum at me and my manager.
At the time I was working in the ticket booth, which was located at the entrance of the theater. It was in the middle of shows so no customers were approaching. I watched as a fellow worker had two boys escorted out the front door. He than told me that they weren't allowed to come back into the theater because they had been kicked out. They hung out on the side of the building for a bit, than they both approached me and demanded a refund for their tickets.
After telling them I couldn't give back their money, one of the boys walked away threatening to call his parent. I honestly don't remember who made the call, but I ended up on the phone with my manager who was in the back room. I told him about the kid who was now about to call his parents. He than told me to just give the kid his money because he was too busy to deal with some angry mother or father. I than asked what I was supposed to do with the other kid. He replied that I was to only give a refund to the kid who threatened to call his parents.
Now I knew that was a very bad idea and that it would have very bad results. I briefly tried to protest, but he again gave the order to just refund the one kid. So I hung up the phone and called the kid over. I gave the boy his money and as I expected, the other walked up to get his money. I told him that I had only been given permission to give the other boy his money. Sure enough the kid walked away and immediately got on the phone with his mom. As luck would have it, I was the one that would have to deal with this ladies fury. This story will be concluded in the next post.
They will keep fighting until it gets to the point that you need to call the police to have them removed from the theater. Or in some of our cases, they called the the police on our theater and instead got themselves into trouble with the officers. The worst people to kick out are teens. The reason for this is that about eighty percent of the time they will call their parents for help. So then we have to deal with mom or dad who throw threats at us because they think their child was treated unfairly. I want to share about a time when a mother threw tantrum at me and my manager.
At the time I was working in the ticket booth, which was located at the entrance of the theater. It was in the middle of shows so no customers were approaching. I watched as a fellow worker had two boys escorted out the front door. He than told me that they weren't allowed to come back into the theater because they had been kicked out. They hung out on the side of the building for a bit, than they both approached me and demanded a refund for their tickets.
After telling them I couldn't give back their money, one of the boys walked away threatening to call his parent. I honestly don't remember who made the call, but I ended up on the phone with my manager who was in the back room. I told him about the kid who was now about to call his parents. He than told me to just give the kid his money because he was too busy to deal with some angry mother or father. I than asked what I was supposed to do with the other kid. He replied that I was to only give a refund to the kid who threatened to call his parents.
Now I knew that was a very bad idea and that it would have very bad results. I briefly tried to protest, but he again gave the order to just refund the one kid. So I hung up the phone and called the kid over. I gave the boy his money and as I expected, the other walked up to get his money. I told him that I had only been given permission to give the other boy his money. Sure enough the kid walked away and immediately got on the phone with his mom. As luck would have it, I was the one that would have to deal with this ladies fury. This story will be concluded in the next post.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Blocked
This story is about an event that took place during my earlier days at the theater. It was the first time during my time there that we had to call the police to deal with an unruly customer. Though I was not directly involved, it was amusing to watch. The trouble started when a mother decided to take her son to see the movie Talladega Nights starring Will Ferrel.
About one third of the way through the movie she came walking back out with her son and demanded a refund for her ticket. After asking what was wrong she said that the movies content was too inappropriate for her child. My manager explained to her that he couldn't give her a refund because she sat through a portion of the movie, but he would be willing to give her two of our free passes with money towards food and drink. She said that wasn't good enough because they didn't live close by and ordered him again to give her a refund. But due to our policy, my manger couldn't hand her back actual cash. So she angrily took the passes and walked out the door.
We all thought the drama was over and went back to work, but than our other boss came bursting through the main door cursing. After asking what was wrong he told us that the lady had parked her car at the entrance of the lot in an attempt to keep people from getting in. He than went to the back office and called the police to get their help. Meanwhile, this lady kept her car parked at the entrance until the police arrive.
The police than came into the theater and questioned my manager about what had happened. They than went outside and made the lady leave for home with her passes. My manager thanked the police for their help and they left. That was my first taste of the exciting events that I would deal with during my time at the theater.
About one third of the way through the movie she came walking back out with her son and demanded a refund for her ticket. After asking what was wrong she said that the movies content was too inappropriate for her child. My manager explained to her that he couldn't give her a refund because she sat through a portion of the movie, but he would be willing to give her two of our free passes with money towards food and drink. She said that wasn't good enough because they didn't live close by and ordered him again to give her a refund. But due to our policy, my manger couldn't hand her back actual cash. So she angrily took the passes and walked out the door.
We all thought the drama was over and went back to work, but than our other boss came bursting through the main door cursing. After asking what was wrong he told us that the lady had parked her car at the entrance of the lot in an attempt to keep people from getting in. He than went to the back office and called the police to get their help. Meanwhile, this lady kept her car parked at the entrance until the police arrive.
The police than came into the theater and questioned my manager about what had happened. They than went outside and made the lady leave for home with her passes. My manager thanked the police for their help and they left. That was my first taste of the exciting events that I would deal with during my time at the theater.
My First Real Job
This post will serve as an introduction for future stories about my old job at a movie theater which I worked at for three years. I would have had stories about my old job posted much sooner, but every time I would think of one I would have another story that I would want to post instead. I'll start off by explaining how I came to work there. It all started when my parents decided that I needed to get a real job so that I could start paying for my own things.
At this time I was working for my dad at his business, but they wanted me to get a job somewhere else so that I could be an actual employee and be paid at least minimum wage, which is more than what my dad was paying me. So one day my mom told me to get out of the house and to not come back without a job. So I left the house and drove to the place I always dreamed of working at, Game Stop.
Unfortunately, they were already filled up for the summer so they couldn't take me. Than I tried Block Buster, and they weren't hiring anyone either. I tried another place, but I don't remember where it was. So I decided to drive back home and tell my mom I had no luck, but than I saw the local movie theater across the street. So I drove there and asked for an application to fill out.
The truth is that at the time I didn't want to work there, it was just my last resort at trying to find a job. So I was a bit unprepared to hear from them that they were willing to hire me. During my years there I developed quite a reputation. I was known as someone that didn't mind doing gross jobs and wasn't concerned about being caught in a heated situation. I imagine this put some value on my head since most of the others hated doing the jobs I was willing to do and most were afraid of getting yelled at by the boss or customers.
Unfortunately, I had to leave three summers later since I was going to a new college out of the area. Last I saw of the theater it was a pile of rubble, along with the stores next too it. The chain of stores went bankrupt so the whole thing was destroyed. It's a shame because I had some good times there, even before I became an employee. Fortunately I have many fond memories of the place. I left that job with enough horror stories to keep anyone out of the retail business. I hope you enjoy them.
At this time I was working for my dad at his business, but they wanted me to get a job somewhere else so that I could be an actual employee and be paid at least minimum wage, which is more than what my dad was paying me. So one day my mom told me to get out of the house and to not come back without a job. So I left the house and drove to the place I always dreamed of working at, Game Stop.
Unfortunately, they were already filled up for the summer so they couldn't take me. Than I tried Block Buster, and they weren't hiring anyone either. I tried another place, but I don't remember where it was. So I decided to drive back home and tell my mom I had no luck, but than I saw the local movie theater across the street. So I drove there and asked for an application to fill out.
The truth is that at the time I didn't want to work there, it was just my last resort at trying to find a job. So I was a bit unprepared to hear from them that they were willing to hire me. During my years there I developed quite a reputation. I was known as someone that didn't mind doing gross jobs and wasn't concerned about being caught in a heated situation. I imagine this put some value on my head since most of the others hated doing the jobs I was willing to do and most were afraid of getting yelled at by the boss or customers.
Unfortunately, I had to leave three summers later since I was going to a new college out of the area. Last I saw of the theater it was a pile of rubble, along with the stores next too it. The chain of stores went bankrupt so the whole thing was destroyed. It's a shame because I had some good times there, even before I became an employee. Fortunately I have many fond memories of the place. I left that job with enough horror stories to keep anyone out of the retail business. I hope you enjoy them.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Civilization vs The Wild Part 2
I've found that kids aren't the only ones that share this fear. I've also heard adults voice their concerns about going into the wilderness. I remember in one of my college classes a teacher of mine told the class that she would never go camping in the woods and thought that people who did so were crazy because that's where all the killers are. "Is this lady serious?" I thought to myself "Clearly someone has been watching too many horror movies." What made her statement even better was that there were actually people in the audience that agreed with her.
In another course I took, a kid sitting next to me made the comment that he would never go into the wild because it is dangerous. Just for the sake of starting a friendly argument I decided to speak up. "What are you talking about?" I asked "Just what exactly do you think is going to happen to you if you go in the wild?" He than started naming off different animals that could attack you while there. I'm pretty sure that some of the animals he mentioned aren't even located in the US, unless of course you happen to see them at the zoo.
I than asked him how often he's heard of someone getting attacked by an animal in the wild. After getting his answer I than asked how often he's heard of people getting attacked by other people in society. I than went on to say that I think the reason the wild gets a bad rap is because of movies, overreactive imaginations, and media hype.
When I say media hype, I am referring the over exaggeration of the troubles that befall people in the wild. When a case does come up where a person gets attacked by an animal or injured in the wild, they make it sound like the worst thing possible. Allow me to give you an example of what I'm talking about. Let's say an anchor comes on the TV and presents the news to you like this (Please be aware that I am making this all up to make a point)
"In todays news two people were shot and killed for their jewelry while walking down the street, after that a group of teens murdered an elderly man, also a woman was beaten to death in her apartment for cheating on her husband, not too far from there a local food store was robbed and two people were taken hostage, while three others were killed. Now in our most horrifying story of the day, a group of hikers in the woods just outside the city had their picnic destroyed when a bear decided to interrupt them. Fortunately, the bear was only after there food, so after it grabbed a sandwich out of there hands it ran back into the woods. The group suffered some minor cut's from branches when they went running for help. The police have taken immediate action and are banning anyone from entering the woods until the bear is found." turns to co-anchor "Wow, that must be scary having a dangerous animal like that so close. I think the safe thing to do would be to stay out of the woods for at least two weeks just to make sure everything is OK." I swear, it is unbelievable how people react.
In another course I took, a kid sitting next to me made the comment that he would never go into the wild because it is dangerous. Just for the sake of starting a friendly argument I decided to speak up. "What are you talking about?" I asked "Just what exactly do you think is going to happen to you if you go in the wild?" He than started naming off different animals that could attack you while there. I'm pretty sure that some of the animals he mentioned aren't even located in the US, unless of course you happen to see them at the zoo.
I than asked him how often he's heard of someone getting attacked by an animal in the wild. After getting his answer I than asked how often he's heard of people getting attacked by other people in society. I than went on to say that I think the reason the wild gets a bad rap is because of movies, overreactive imaginations, and media hype.
When I say media hype, I am referring the over exaggeration of the troubles that befall people in the wild. When a case does come up where a person gets attacked by an animal or injured in the wild, they make it sound like the worst thing possible. Allow me to give you an example of what I'm talking about. Let's say an anchor comes on the TV and presents the news to you like this (Please be aware that I am making this all up to make a point)
"In todays news two people were shot and killed for their jewelry while walking down the street, after that a group of teens murdered an elderly man, also a woman was beaten to death in her apartment for cheating on her husband, not too far from there a local food store was robbed and two people were taken hostage, while three others were killed. Now in our most horrifying story of the day, a group of hikers in the woods just outside the city had their picnic destroyed when a bear decided to interrupt them. Fortunately, the bear was only after there food, so after it grabbed a sandwich out of there hands it ran back into the woods. The group suffered some minor cut's from branches when they went running for help. The police have taken immediate action and are banning anyone from entering the woods until the bear is found." turns to co-anchor "Wow, that must be scary having a dangerous animal like that so close. I think the safe thing to do would be to stay out of the woods for at least two weeks just to make sure everything is OK." I swear, it is unbelievable how people react.
Civilization vs The Wild Part 1
This post isn't going to be about a single story of my life. It is going to be about an idea and belief some people have that baffles me. I have found that for some reason many people have the idea that the wilderness is dangerous. If they were given the choice between being dropped off in the back alley of a bad area at night or dropped off in the some forest at night, they would take the alley.
I first became aware of this fear when I started inviting my school friends from the city to see my home in the country. These kids, who lived in bad neighborhoods filled with violence and criminal activity, were arguably terrified to find that my house was surrounded by woods. They had this delusional idea that there was something waiting out in the wild to get them. They thought that there was some kind of animal or psycho killer roaming the area waiting for a new victim. Sometimes during the day I would be able to take them exploring outside for fun, but once nightfall set in, they weren't getting out of the house.
My friend Dave is terrified of the wild during the night time and has argued with me on various occasions about his idea that the woods are dangerous. He is in fact so scared of the wild that he gets nervous when he comes to visit me at my home. This is part of the reason why the majority of the time I visit him at his house. Now he does have a valid fear that a deer may jump in front of his car while driving at night, but that's where his argument runs dry. He is awestruck by the fact the I can walk into my woods alone at night.
There are many funny stories that I can tell in regard to this in future posts. I find this hilarious because Dave is a big guy who could easily kick the crap out of me, and if you met him without knowing him on a personal level, you might think he's a convict or some other kind of criminal. Though I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth. (On the chance your reading this post Dave, I want you to know that this isn't just me talking, I've heard this idea from other people as well.) One thing I have to tell you about is a talk we once had.
He told me that if his car broke down by the woods at night and if his cell phone didn't work, he would lock himself in his car and wait till morning before getting out and walking off to get help. So I posed the question "Well, what if you were on a date with a hot girl and this happened and there was help about a half mile down the road?" "I'd do the same thing" he said "I don't care how hot she is. If she wants to get help that bad she is welcome to get out and walk. I'll be right here in my car waiting for her to get back". I couldn't stop laughing after hearing that answer. This story will be concluded in the next post.
I first became aware of this fear when I started inviting my school friends from the city to see my home in the country. These kids, who lived in bad neighborhoods filled with violence and criminal activity, were arguably terrified to find that my house was surrounded by woods. They had this delusional idea that there was something waiting out in the wild to get them. They thought that there was some kind of animal or psycho killer roaming the area waiting for a new victim. Sometimes during the day I would be able to take them exploring outside for fun, but once nightfall set in, they weren't getting out of the house.
My friend Dave is terrified of the wild during the night time and has argued with me on various occasions about his idea that the woods are dangerous. He is in fact so scared of the wild that he gets nervous when he comes to visit me at my home. This is part of the reason why the majority of the time I visit him at his house. Now he does have a valid fear that a deer may jump in front of his car while driving at night, but that's where his argument runs dry. He is awestruck by the fact the I can walk into my woods alone at night.
There are many funny stories that I can tell in regard to this in future posts. I find this hilarious because Dave is a big guy who could easily kick the crap out of me, and if you met him without knowing him on a personal level, you might think he's a convict or some other kind of criminal. Though I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth. (On the chance your reading this post Dave, I want you to know that this isn't just me talking, I've heard this idea from other people as well.) One thing I have to tell you about is a talk we once had.
He told me that if his car broke down by the woods at night and if his cell phone didn't work, he would lock himself in his car and wait till morning before getting out and walking off to get help. So I posed the question "Well, what if you were on a date with a hot girl and this happened and there was help about a half mile down the road?" "I'd do the same thing" he said "I don't care how hot she is. If she wants to get help that bad she is welcome to get out and walk. I'll be right here in my car waiting for her to get back". I couldn't stop laughing after hearing that answer. This story will be concluded in the next post.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Facial Damage Part 2
I found out that my sister was airlifted off the island in a helicopter and taken to a hospital in Atlantic City. I got a call from my mom saying that they had made it to the hospital and they were looking Chelsea over. It turns out that she didn't receive any brain or neck damage, but she did manage to break both of her cheeks. Now I don't know how you break both cheeks without breaking your nose but that's what happened. The doctors decided that she was good enough to be released the same day, so she was able to come home that night. Thank goodness for that because my sister doesn't like being in hospitals.
When I finally got to see my sister it looked like she had been in a boxing match. The doctors had glued the cut around her eye shut and had given her ice to take down the swelling. Her boyfriend, who she had bitten, had to get the back of his head stapled so that his wound could heal properly. After the eventful weekend between my sister and I, my parents are absolutely exhausted. Right now she's in the recovery process and is so far doing well. On an interesting and even creepy note, this accident happened on the exact same date of last summer when my sister jumped out of a moving car and got herself banged up on the pavement. I may share that story another time, but I wasn't around for that one so I doubt I will.
I'm pretty sure that on that date next summer my parents will have my sister kept in the house so she can't do anything to get herself hurt. Before I finish this post I thought it should be noted that Chelsea and I weren't the only ones in the family that managed to get hurt this summer. Our brother Nick managed to get a splinter lodged in the bottom of his foot and needed a doctor to cut it out. Our mom ended up tearing the cartilage in her knee. All this was pulled off in one summer. The funny thing is that this is our first summer at our new location on Long Beach Island. I wonder what the neighbors think of us so far?
When I finally got to see my sister it looked like she had been in a boxing match. The doctors had glued the cut around her eye shut and had given her ice to take down the swelling. Her boyfriend, who she had bitten, had to get the back of his head stapled so that his wound could heal properly. After the eventful weekend between my sister and I, my parents are absolutely exhausted. Right now she's in the recovery process and is so far doing well. On an interesting and even creepy note, this accident happened on the exact same date of last summer when my sister jumped out of a moving car and got herself banged up on the pavement. I may share that story another time, but I wasn't around for that one so I doubt I will.
I'm pretty sure that on that date next summer my parents will have my sister kept in the house so she can't do anything to get herself hurt. Before I finish this post I thought it should be noted that Chelsea and I weren't the only ones in the family that managed to get hurt this summer. Our brother Nick managed to get a splinter lodged in the bottom of his foot and needed a doctor to cut it out. Our mom ended up tearing the cartilage in her knee. All this was pulled off in one summer. The funny thing is that this is our first summer at our new location on Long Beach Island. I wonder what the neighbors think of us so far?
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Facial Damage Part 1
The title for this post might be a little harsh, but it's the only one I can think of. Any way, this took place two days after my allergy attack. So I was sitting in my beach house doing a paper while my family was out on our wave runners. My mom and dad were driving on one, while my sister and her boyfriend were on the other. As I was writing, I heard our door down stairs open up and someone was running up the stairs. Before my dad reached the top of the stares he was yelling at me to get an ice pack and paper towels for my sister.
After asking what was wrong he told me that Chelsea had gotten hurt by getting her face smashed on the wave runner. As I grabbed some ice I saw his hands shaking as he started dialing 911. Just as he started talking I was flying down the stairwell towards the back door. Just as I went to open it I stopped myself. I was afraid of what condition I might find my sister in if I stepped through. But I soon became disappointed in myself for not having the nerve to go outside, especially when I have a reputation for being able to handle gruesome situations.
I ignored my concerns and walked outside to see my sister laying face down on our chair outside with her boyfriend comforting her. I made my way downstair and saw my sister crying in the chairs with her face swollen. The area around her left eye was so puffed out and bruised that she couldn't open it, while the other side of her face was damaged but not as bad. I gave my mom the ice so that she could hold it on my sisters head. The left side of her face had been cut and had blood leaking out of it. She asked for someone to grab her a pillow for her head, so I ran back upstairs. I crossed paths with my dad and grabbed a pillow off the couch. We both went back down stairs to watch over Chelsea.
Eventually a police officer arrived on the seen to see how my sister was doing. Soon after the paramedics arrived with a stretch bed for my sister. They asked my family how this had happened to Chelsea. This is the part I had been waiting for because up till this point I didn't know the exact story of what took place.
It turned out that her boyfriend had been driving at the time with her holding on in the back. He had made a quick sharp turn in an attempt to throw my sister off, but she had held onto him so tight that he was dragged off with her. She hit the water first with him right on top. The reason her face was banged up was because the back of his head smacked into her. I saw that the back of her boyfriends head was bleeding because she had accidently bitten into it when they hit the water.
After looking her over, the paramedics had her put on the bed with a neck brace of some kind. Their biggest concern was that she could have a concussion. She was than wheeled into the ambulance, while her boyfriend got the back of his head looked at. The ambulance took off with Chelsea, while her boyfriend went off in another ambulance. My parents wanted me to stay home and watch the dog while they went to meet my sister at the hospital. This story will be concluded in the next post.
After asking what was wrong he told me that Chelsea had gotten hurt by getting her face smashed on the wave runner. As I grabbed some ice I saw his hands shaking as he started dialing 911. Just as he started talking I was flying down the stairwell towards the back door. Just as I went to open it I stopped myself. I was afraid of what condition I might find my sister in if I stepped through. But I soon became disappointed in myself for not having the nerve to go outside, especially when I have a reputation for being able to handle gruesome situations.
I ignored my concerns and walked outside to see my sister laying face down on our chair outside with her boyfriend comforting her. I made my way downstair and saw my sister crying in the chairs with her face swollen. The area around her left eye was so puffed out and bruised that she couldn't open it, while the other side of her face was damaged but not as bad. I gave my mom the ice so that she could hold it on my sisters head. The left side of her face had been cut and had blood leaking out of it. She asked for someone to grab her a pillow for her head, so I ran back upstairs. I crossed paths with my dad and grabbed a pillow off the couch. We both went back down stairs to watch over Chelsea.
Eventually a police officer arrived on the seen to see how my sister was doing. Soon after the paramedics arrived with a stretch bed for my sister. They asked my family how this had happened to Chelsea. This is the part I had been waiting for because up till this point I didn't know the exact story of what took place.
It turned out that her boyfriend had been driving at the time with her holding on in the back. He had made a quick sharp turn in an attempt to throw my sister off, but she had held onto him so tight that he was dragged off with her. She hit the water first with him right on top. The reason her face was banged up was because the back of his head smacked into her. I saw that the back of her boyfriends head was bleeding because she had accidently bitten into it when they hit the water.
After looking her over, the paramedics had her put on the bed with a neck brace of some kind. Their biggest concern was that she could have a concussion. She was than wheeled into the ambulance, while her boyfriend got the back of his head looked at. The ambulance took off with Chelsea, while her boyfriend went off in another ambulance. My parents wanted me to stay home and watch the dog while they went to meet my sister at the hospital. This story will be concluded in the next post.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Severe Allergic Reaction Part 2
So I was sitting on our kitchen bench with my eyes closed praying that I didn't get any worse. As I sat I could feel my heart rate start to slow down. When I felt that I was good enough to walk I made my way for the stairs. Slowly I worked my way down and began to head for my room to get my phone. As I started moving I heard a car puling in. I looked out the window and saw my brothers jeep in the driveway. I watched as he made his way to the back of the house. I moved towards our back door and opened it up.
I started yelling to get my brothers attention. Thinking that I was just being a pain he told me to stop yelling. I than heard my mom and yelled for her. She also thought I was yelling for no good reason and asked what was wrong with me. Finally, she was in view to actually see me and I told her that I was having some kind of allergic reaction. She immediately ran in the house and had me sit down on the couch while she got me some kind of medication. My dad than walked in asking what had happened.
I explained to both of them how the symptoms started after eating the two Slim Jim's. They both took me upstairs, than my mom called a friend in the medical field to get her opinion about what to do. Her friend said that it would be best to take me to the hospital to be on the safe side. Before heading off though my mom wanted to check online to see what could be wrong with me. At this time I was sitting on our couch starting to feel a bit better. I noticed that my heart was starting to calm down and my body temperature was returning to normal. My mom eventually found some information about an allergic reaction that is called "Anaphylaxis". Here is a copy of the article we found that tells about Anaphylaxis:
I started yelling to get my brothers attention. Thinking that I was just being a pain he told me to stop yelling. I than heard my mom and yelled for her. She also thought I was yelling for no good reason and asked what was wrong with me. Finally, she was in view to actually see me and I told her that I was having some kind of allergic reaction. She immediately ran in the house and had me sit down on the couch while she got me some kind of medication. My dad than walked in asking what had happened.
I explained to both of them how the symptoms started after eating the two Slim Jim's. They both took me upstairs, than my mom called a friend in the medical field to get her opinion about what to do. Her friend said that it would be best to take me to the hospital to be on the safe side. Before heading off though my mom wanted to check online to see what could be wrong with me. At this time I was sitting on our couch starting to feel a bit better. I noticed that my heart was starting to calm down and my body temperature was returning to normal. My mom eventually found some information about an allergic reaction that is called "Anaphylaxis". Here is a copy of the article we found that tells about Anaphylaxis:
Anaphylaxis refers to a rapidly developing and serious allergic reaction that affects a number of different areas of the body at one time. Severe anaphylactic reactions can be fatal. Most people experience allergy symptoms only as a minor annoyance. However, a small number of people are susceptible to a reaction that can lead to shock or even death.
Anaphylaxis is often triggered by substances that are injected or ingested and thereby gain access into the blood stream. An explosive reaction involving the skin, lungs, nose, throat, and gastrointestinal tract can then result. Although severe cases of anaphylaxis can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure and be fatal if untreated, many reactions are milder and can be ended with prompt medical therapy.
The symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction may occur within seconds of exposure, or be delayed 15 to 30 minutes, or even an hour or more after exposure (typical of reactions to aspirin and similar drugs). Early symptoms are often related to the skin and include:
- Flushing (warmth and redness of the skin),
- itching (often in the groin or armpits), and
- hives.
These symptoms are often accompanied by:
- a feeling of "impending doom,"
- anxiety, and
- sometimes a rapid, irregular pulse.
Frequently following the above symptoms, throat and tongue swelling results in hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, and difficulty breathing.
After reading over the article it sounded exactly like the problems that I was having. Realizing how serious and potentially fatal my condition was, my parents and I hopped in the car and headed for an emergency hospital. We got ourselves checked in and waited for our turn to see the doctor. After about an hour and a half of waiting, the doctor was able to see me. The doctor looked me over, gave me some medication to take and sent me on my way. So far I have been feeling fine.
Too bad my family had to go back to another emergency hospital today because my sister got into an accident and smashed up her face. I'm considering having my next post be about what occurred, but I want to check with my sister first to see if she would be OK with me posting what had happened. Aren't my parents lucky to have kids like us?
Too bad my family had to go back to another emergency hospital today because my sister got into an accident and smashed up her face. I'm considering having my next post be about what occurred, but I want to check with my sister first to see if she would be OK with me posting what had happened. Aren't my parents lucky to have kids like us?
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Severe Allergic Reaction Part 1
This story took place yesterday while I was in the processes of writing my previous post alone in my parents beach house. I was writing my final post about Disturbed and Korn when I got hungary and went to get a bite to eat. Because I was in the process of writing I wanted something that I could eat quickly. So I opened up our cabinet to see what we had. After quickly looking for a bit I saw a small container of Slim Jim's on the shelf. I opened the container and took two out. I opened up the wrappers and scarfed them both down. I than went back to my writing.
About a minute after I started typing I felt a slight tingling in my mouth which turned into an itch. I started gnawing on my tongue to try and scratch it. Than my hands started getting an itchy feeling like they were irritated by something. Thinking that I may have gotten something on them I walked to the sink and started washing my hands. But the irritable feeling started spreading to the rest of my body. It got to the point that it was so bad I decided I needed to stop my writing and take a shower.
So I stopped my post right in the middle, shut my laptop down, than went to the bathroom hoping I could wash off what ever was wrong with me. As I took my clothes off and stepped into the shower, I noticed that rashes started appearing on my body. I kept the water on cold because my body temperature was starting to rise. As I scrubbed myself with soap I noticed that I wasn't feeling any better. I jumped out of the shower and patted myself down with a towel. I went to look at myself in the mirror and saw that my eyes were flaming red and teary.
I lightly wrapped the towel around my waist and went to go find some boxers, since I forgot to bring a new pair in with me. So after running around looking for a pair, I settled for a slick pair of shorts since all the boxers I put on irritated my skin. I than ran back upstairs because my body started feeling hotter and I needed a drink of cold water. I went to the sink and drank two cups of ice water.
While it helped to moisten my throat, my body temperature continued to rise and my heart was starting to race. I felt a panic well up inside me that I haven't felt in a long time. This puzzled me because in my head I didn't feel like what was happening to me was that big a deal, especially when compared to the other medical problems I've had to deal with in my life. I found out later that the fear I had was a symptom of what was wrong with me. I than felt like I was having what I guess was a panic attack.
I needed help and needed to get to a phone. The only problem was I had left my cell phone down stairs and I didn't know if my parent's would get my call even if I got to the phone. I could have called 911, but I wasn't sure if it was worth bothering them with my problem. I didn't even know what was wrong with me in the first place. Just that it all started after eating those two Slim Jim's.
I than got a familiar feeling that I have only gotten during my most severe medical conditions. No matter how old I am it never seems to change. I got the feeling of fading away, the feeling of losing consciousness, the feeling that death was close. I decided that if I was going to die the least I could do was spare my family the pain of not knowing what caused it.
I started searching the drawers for a paper and a pen. I wanted to write something like "It was the Slim Jim's". But all I could find was kitchen related items. As I felt my condition start to get worse I decided I should sit down before I fell down. My heart was racing even faster and I had a tight pain building up in my chest. I sat down on our kitchen bench and said a quick prayer to myself. I than did what I tend to do when faced with a problem, I started laughing. I laughed at the thought that I had survived so many severe medical problems in my life and now I was going to be done in by two Slim Jim's. What a stupid way to die.
This story will be concluded in the next post.
About a minute after I started typing I felt a slight tingling in my mouth which turned into an itch. I started gnawing on my tongue to try and scratch it. Than my hands started getting an itchy feeling like they were irritated by something. Thinking that I may have gotten something on them I walked to the sink and started washing my hands. But the irritable feeling started spreading to the rest of my body. It got to the point that it was so bad I decided I needed to stop my writing and take a shower.
So I stopped my post right in the middle, shut my laptop down, than went to the bathroom hoping I could wash off what ever was wrong with me. As I took my clothes off and stepped into the shower, I noticed that rashes started appearing on my body. I kept the water on cold because my body temperature was starting to rise. As I scrubbed myself with soap I noticed that I wasn't feeling any better. I jumped out of the shower and patted myself down with a towel. I went to look at myself in the mirror and saw that my eyes were flaming red and teary.
I lightly wrapped the towel around my waist and went to go find some boxers, since I forgot to bring a new pair in with me. So after running around looking for a pair, I settled for a slick pair of shorts since all the boxers I put on irritated my skin. I than ran back upstairs because my body started feeling hotter and I needed a drink of cold water. I went to the sink and drank two cups of ice water.
While it helped to moisten my throat, my body temperature continued to rise and my heart was starting to race. I felt a panic well up inside me that I haven't felt in a long time. This puzzled me because in my head I didn't feel like what was happening to me was that big a deal, especially when compared to the other medical problems I've had to deal with in my life. I found out later that the fear I had was a symptom of what was wrong with me. I than felt like I was having what I guess was a panic attack.
I needed help and needed to get to a phone. The only problem was I had left my cell phone down stairs and I didn't know if my parent's would get my call even if I got to the phone. I could have called 911, but I wasn't sure if it was worth bothering them with my problem. I didn't even know what was wrong with me in the first place. Just that it all started after eating those two Slim Jim's.
I than got a familiar feeling that I have only gotten during my most severe medical conditions. No matter how old I am it never seems to change. I got the feeling of fading away, the feeling of losing consciousness, the feeling that death was close. I decided that if I was going to die the least I could do was spare my family the pain of not knowing what caused it.
I started searching the drawers for a paper and a pen. I wanted to write something like "It was the Slim Jim's". But all I could find was kitchen related items. As I felt my condition start to get worse I decided I should sit down before I fell down. My heart was racing even faster and I had a tight pain building up in my chest. I sat down on our kitchen bench and said a quick prayer to myself. I than did what I tend to do when faced with a problem, I started laughing. I laughed at the thought that I had survived so many severe medical problems in my life and now I was going to be done in by two Slim Jim's. What a stupid way to die.
This story will be concluded in the next post.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Disturbed and Korn Part 4
After watching TV for a while my brother and I drove back to the campus for the show. The line to get in was ridicules. We grabbed a free coffee energy drink and wondered around for a while until we decided to wait in line for the show. When we got inside the concert I saw the stage that everyone had been working on was finished and ready to go. When I had got the tickets for my brother and I, there was the choice of being put up on the bleachers or we could stand on the ground next to the stage. I gave us the ground cause I wanted to be as close to the stage as possible.
As the rest of the crowd poured in and we were all standing shoulder to shoulder, the opening band "In This Moment" started. They did a great job of getting the crowed pumped up for the main show. The next up to play were Sevendust. This is when the crowed started going crazy. Everyone was banging there heads, jumping around, and mosh pit's started forming. It was AWSOME! I haven't heard much of Sevendust's music in the past, but believe me they are good live. When they were done the next up to play was Korn.
In my opinion, Korn had the greatest performance of anyone else at the concert. It may sound cheesy to put it like this, but when they came on stage, it was like a spell had taken hold of the crowed. Watching the band walk on was so surreal to me. I've been listening to these guys for years and now they were standing right in front of me. They had a flawless introduction which involved using the lights behind them to match the beats played. It seemed to have a hypnotizing affect on us that held our gaze.
They than started off with the perfect song, "Blind". An energy seemed to spread through the crowed as everyone started going crazy. It was almost impossible to stand still because everyone was bumping into each other as we jumped around. We all became an army of crazy people, that wanted nothing more than to enjoy the music and go nuts. I LOVED IT! Korn also did an amazing job of maintaining some level of interaction with the crowed. I swear I could have stayed there all night and listened to everyone Korn song there was.
But they unfortunately had to end eventually and the next to go on was Disturbed. Disturbed started out with some video for their introduction and moved into the song "Asylum". Again the fun started back up and we went nuts. While it was cool that they had a video going on behind them while they performed, I feel that the screen on the stage stole a bit of the attention from watching the band itself. Regardless, they did a mind blowing job. To finish they used my all time favorite song "The Sickness".
As we all started leaving the floor I decided that it would be a waist of time to wait in the parking lot to get out so I took my younger brother up to the second floor where we sat on the bleachers while the crew started cleaning up. I saw the guy I had been hanging with earlier up on the stage helping out. Security eventually made my brother and I leave. As I was walking to my car I thought about how close I had come to getting the interview and decided to give it one last try. I than turned around and started heading for the back of the MAC building. I thought we might be able to catch them as they were walking onto their tour buss's. Some guy was in the lot and approached me and asked what I was doing? I showed him my News Pass and said we were hoping to catch the bands before they leave. After giving it some thought he told us that it wasn't a good time. So we said bye and left.
While I never got to speak with the bands one on one I got to watch the show of a life time. Not to long ago I found videos online that people had taken of the show. Bellow is a link to a great video someone took of Korn's opening performance. I am not in the video. It was taken by another guy at the show who's profile name is "Rnflakexaxn". When you go to see the video I would greatly appreciate it if you commented on the page saying that I was the one that brought you there. Thank you.
Here is the link to the Korn video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwRDvzFXO9w
As the rest of the crowd poured in and we were all standing shoulder to shoulder, the opening band "In This Moment" started. They did a great job of getting the crowed pumped up for the main show. The next up to play were Sevendust. This is when the crowed started going crazy. Everyone was banging there heads, jumping around, and mosh pit's started forming. It was AWSOME! I haven't heard much of Sevendust's music in the past, but believe me they are good live. When they were done the next up to play was Korn.
In my opinion, Korn had the greatest performance of anyone else at the concert. It may sound cheesy to put it like this, but when they came on stage, it was like a spell had taken hold of the crowed. Watching the band walk on was so surreal to me. I've been listening to these guys for years and now they were standing right in front of me. They had a flawless introduction which involved using the lights behind them to match the beats played. It seemed to have a hypnotizing affect on us that held our gaze.
They than started off with the perfect song, "Blind". An energy seemed to spread through the crowed as everyone started going crazy. It was almost impossible to stand still because everyone was bumping into each other as we jumped around. We all became an army of crazy people, that wanted nothing more than to enjoy the music and go nuts. I LOVED IT! Korn also did an amazing job of maintaining some level of interaction with the crowed. I swear I could have stayed there all night and listened to everyone Korn song there was.
But they unfortunately had to end eventually and the next to go on was Disturbed. Disturbed started out with some video for their introduction and moved into the song "Asylum". Again the fun started back up and we went nuts. While it was cool that they had a video going on behind them while they performed, I feel that the screen on the stage stole a bit of the attention from watching the band itself. Regardless, they did a mind blowing job. To finish they used my all time favorite song "The Sickness".
As we all started leaving the floor I decided that it would be a waist of time to wait in the parking lot to get out so I took my younger brother up to the second floor where we sat on the bleachers while the crew started cleaning up. I saw the guy I had been hanging with earlier up on the stage helping out. Security eventually made my brother and I leave. As I was walking to my car I thought about how close I had come to getting the interview and decided to give it one last try. I than turned around and started heading for the back of the MAC building. I thought we might be able to catch them as they were walking onto their tour buss's. Some guy was in the lot and approached me and asked what I was doing? I showed him my News Pass and said we were hoping to catch the bands before they leave. After giving it some thought he told us that it wasn't a good time. So we said bye and left.
While I never got to speak with the bands one on one I got to watch the show of a life time. Not to long ago I found videos online that people had taken of the show. Bellow is a link to a great video someone took of Korn's opening performance. I am not in the video. It was taken by another guy at the show who's profile name is "Rnflakexaxn". When you go to see the video I would greatly appreciate it if you commented on the page saying that I was the one that brought you there. Thank you.
Here is the link to the Korn video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwRDvzFXO9w
Monday, August 1, 2011
Disturbed and Korn Part 3
The day of the concert I was pumped. I got up and immediately headed for the campus. After parking myself in front of the building where the concert was going to be held, which is called the MAC, I made my way for the radio station. I saw that the parking lot behind the MAC had been blocked off because it was being occupied by three tour busses and some other vehicles. I walked over to the lot and stared in amazement.
I was standing next to the tour busses of Sevendust, Korn, and Disturbed. Sevendust was joining in the concert along with another band called In This Moment. After getting over the amazement of being there I started looking for someone to talk to about the interview. I found some guy walking around the lot and walked up to him. I showed him my news pass and told him that I was hoping to have a quick interview with one of the bands. He said he had to check with someone else before he could let me do so. So he walked off to go talk with whoever he needed to.
So I stayed there and waited in the lot. After standing in the lot for some time freezing I started to get hungary, but I didn't want to leave incase the guy came back. Eventually the hunger got to me and I ran to the cafeteria to quick get a bite to eat. I came back and managed to talk to the same guy again, he said he was still checking with the others to see if it was OK. I than called my younger brother who was driving to the University so the two of us could go to the concert together. I told him that I was trying to set up a chance to meet either Disturbed or Korn and that if I could, I would bring him along once he arrived. Well he was pretty excited about that idea to say the least.
I finished talking to him, put my cell phone away and waited. I got the crazy idea that maybe if a band sees that I'm freezing outside they may invite me on one of the of the busses since I was the only person around. While I waited in the cold I saw another guy hanging in the lot. Since I was still waiting I decided to have a talk with him to pass the time. He told be that he was with the crew that had the job of setting up the show. So we hung out for a while until more people arrived that were from the stage crew. I watched as they started moving equipment from the vehicles into the MAC.
I know I talked to somebody else about seeing the band, but I can't remember what was said. I just remember it didn't get me anywhere. As I waited my curiosity got the best of me and I decided I was going to find a way to get into the building to see what they were doing. I once read a quote that basically said "if you walk into a place like you own it, most people won't stop you". So I casually walked down the path and up to the back doors.
I than walked in with some guys that were carrying equipment, I think I held the door open for them to make myself blend in all the better. As I walked down the hall I saw the guy I had been talking to and made sure to say "hi" as I walked by. I walked into the gym where the concert would be and was greeted by a partially built stage and lots of people hard at work.
It was an amazing sight to see how they were getting everything ready for the big night. I looked around to see if I could find someone from Disturbed or Korn, but I had no luck. The funny part is that at no point did anyone question me being there and I was free to wonder around. I eventually left because I had to meet my brother in the parking lot. So I went back outside and waited for him to arrive.
My brother got to the college and I took him to the back to see the tour busses. I decided I would try again to ask somebody about the interview. The truth is though that at this point I didn't care about the interview, I just wanted to meet them in person. I pointed to the back of the MAC building and told my brother that we were going in their to ask about the interview. Since I was the News Director of the college radio station I decided that he could pretend to be my assistant. I didn't think it would go over to well or would look unprofessional if I told them I wanted my younger brother to tag along.
So I took Nick through the doors and approached a guy that appeared to be in charge. I went to shake his hand and said "Hi, my names Chris, I'm the News Director of the college radio station and this is my assistant. We were hoping to do a quick interview with either Disturbed or Korn". He asked me a few questions and said that he didn't think we would be able to do so. I thanked him for his help and my brother and I left. We than drove back to my apartment to watch TV while waiting for the start time of the show to get closer.
This story will be concluded in the next post.
I was standing next to the tour busses of Sevendust, Korn, and Disturbed. Sevendust was joining in the concert along with another band called In This Moment. After getting over the amazement of being there I started looking for someone to talk to about the interview. I found some guy walking around the lot and walked up to him. I showed him my news pass and told him that I was hoping to have a quick interview with one of the bands. He said he had to check with someone else before he could let me do so. So he walked off to go talk with whoever he needed to.
So I stayed there and waited in the lot. After standing in the lot for some time freezing I started to get hungary, but I didn't want to leave incase the guy came back. Eventually the hunger got to me and I ran to the cafeteria to quick get a bite to eat. I came back and managed to talk to the same guy again, he said he was still checking with the others to see if it was OK. I than called my younger brother who was driving to the University so the two of us could go to the concert together. I told him that I was trying to set up a chance to meet either Disturbed or Korn and that if I could, I would bring him along once he arrived. Well he was pretty excited about that idea to say the least.
I finished talking to him, put my cell phone away and waited. I got the crazy idea that maybe if a band sees that I'm freezing outside they may invite me on one of the of the busses since I was the only person around. While I waited in the cold I saw another guy hanging in the lot. Since I was still waiting I decided to have a talk with him to pass the time. He told be that he was with the crew that had the job of setting up the show. So we hung out for a while until more people arrived that were from the stage crew. I watched as they started moving equipment from the vehicles into the MAC.
I know I talked to somebody else about seeing the band, but I can't remember what was said. I just remember it didn't get me anywhere. As I waited my curiosity got the best of me and I decided I was going to find a way to get into the building to see what they were doing. I once read a quote that basically said "if you walk into a place like you own it, most people won't stop you". So I casually walked down the path and up to the back doors.
I than walked in with some guys that were carrying equipment, I think I held the door open for them to make myself blend in all the better. As I walked down the hall I saw the guy I had been talking to and made sure to say "hi" as I walked by. I walked into the gym where the concert would be and was greeted by a partially built stage and lots of people hard at work.
It was an amazing sight to see how they were getting everything ready for the big night. I looked around to see if I could find someone from Disturbed or Korn, but I had no luck. The funny part is that at no point did anyone question me being there and I was free to wonder around. I eventually left because I had to meet my brother in the parking lot. So I went back outside and waited for him to arrive.
My brother got to the college and I took him to the back to see the tour busses. I decided I would try again to ask somebody about the interview. The truth is though that at this point I didn't care about the interview, I just wanted to meet them in person. I pointed to the back of the MAC building and told my brother that we were going in their to ask about the interview. Since I was the News Director of the college radio station I decided that he could pretend to be my assistant. I didn't think it would go over to well or would look unprofessional if I told them I wanted my younger brother to tag along.
So I took Nick through the doors and approached a guy that appeared to be in charge. I went to shake his hand and said "Hi, my names Chris, I'm the News Director of the college radio station and this is my assistant. We were hoping to do a quick interview with either Disturbed or Korn". He asked me a few questions and said that he didn't think we would be able to do so. I thanked him for his help and my brother and I left. We than drove back to my apartment to watch TV while waiting for the start time of the show to get closer.
This story will be concluded in the next post.
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