Q101 Intern Party

Before lunch, Katie came into the office to invite everyone in Interactive to the Q101 Intern Farewell party. This was an awfully nice thing to do, and all of us thought it would be a blast. The past week, the interns have been visting us a bit more, which is awesome since our office is a bit "tucked away" from the rets of Q101. That, and we’re typically working away and not roaming/visiting around all that much. So – the invite was a wonderful thing to receive, reclusive nerds that we are.

Here’s something odd that happened to me, prior to the party. Deep down, I knew I wanted to go. But a part of me was already prepared to have a quiet sort of night at home, alone. Sure, sure. Plans change, people adapt. But this is what I’m saying. I felt a physical, constrictive sort of… itch is the wrong word here. Bunching? Sort of in the chest. The idea of heading out and being around a big group (and this is the key I think) unexpectedly is what threw me, and made me almost want to decline and head back home.

For most of the day, I was wondering if it’s a planning issue that I have. If someone where to ask me "Hey, let’s go see a movie tomorrow," I’d probably accept, more often than not. But if the same person asked me to go see a movie that evening, I’d probably pause and stumble and feel unsure about it.

And here’s the crazy thing: I knew I’d have fun at the party. There was no question about it. But nonetheless, I felt this very visceral, tight-in-the-chest feeling up until I actually arrived at the party, the sort of feeling that only goes away if I isolate myself from anyone else.

I guess I just need to remember this feeling for the future, so that I know how wrong it is. I had a great fucking time, and am incredibly happy I didn’t pull the hermit thing. Let me show you why:

Southport Lanes and Billiards. This is the view of the room from the bowling lanes. The whole bar is sectioned in half: one side has bowling, the other side has the bar and a backroom with four or six billiards tables. The whole place is slick, wood everyone, and a great place overall.

Side note: today’s blog entry is a combination of various peoples’ cameras. I took more of the typical blog pics, but got a hold of some fun images. Today is what you would call a team effort.

There are only four lanes. Four. There are also two employees who keep score for you, using paper and pencil. And two guys in back who set the pins by hand. Awesome.

One hysterical thing: whenever Katie would bowl, the guys would lift up the #10 pin (far right corner) so that the bowling ball would miss it. Once the ball passed by, they set the pin back down.

Of course, the scorekeepers counted the pin if it would have hit. But funny nonetheless.

One rumor I heard from Cathie (and that I was going to try to document, but never did) was the bribe. Supposedly, if you stuck a few dollars into the bowling ball and just rolled it down the gutter, they’d kick over all the pins for you.

Katie, showing a true professional’s form. I especially like whoever’s doing the "rock on!" motion in the right corner.

Joey is a god damn ROCK STAR.

Hahahahaha! God dammit, I love this picture. I would say right around here is where the night turned.

If I recall correctly, as soon as he and Ben got together, they immediately went off to do a tequila shot together. Rock! Star!

Anthony, professional webmaster by day, ladies’ man by night.

Uh… I’m don’t have a clue what’s going on here. :)

Messing around with Flash here. These are Jaeger bombs towards the end, I think. Yuck!

Bass and Mariella, showing how a steady diet of booze and sugar can keep you going all summer long.

Dave and Ryan share a cigarette.

Farewell, interns. Group shot of everyone who’s volunteered their time to Q101. Incidentally, none of the internships with the station are paid. Everyone here volunteers their time and basically works for free. Which makes them all that much cooler.

I should take the time here to lament, briefly. I’m sad that all of us Interactive folks waited as long as we did (this is the last week for all the interns) before hanging out with everyone. I feel like we got a taste of how fun it could have been, as everyone was leaving. At any rate, I feel incredibly happy we were invited, and got to see a side of the radio station I had been missing out on.

Outside the bar, Ryan and his brother (Little Mano) admire the mohawk. Actually, it was more me admiring the mohawk.

Ryan’s been adding some good content to the Q101 site. All of us in Interactive talk about how important content is, but Ryan’s stepping up and adding some good stuff. In particular, I like his "Facts Your Friends Won’t Know" bit.

Cathie bravely volunteered her apartment for the after-party, and took in all us drunken fools. A few things were spilled, but I think we avoided any major sort of damage that would involve lawyers or jail time.

This is Michelle on the left and… dang, I don’t remember names of the other folks in the pic.

Michelle has an amazing, AMAZING command of 80’s heavy metal. She challenged me and Matt, and claimed she could sing a song by any 80’s metal band we named. I threw out Yngwie Malmsteen immediately, but she called foul, claiming he was a guitarist. I thought I won with that one, but Matt won by naming Krokus.

Michelle knows her shit though, as it took us a long while to name a band she couldn’t sing.

After recounting this moment and seeing this thread on twelvestone, I wish I still had all my old heavy metal tapes. Sorta wanting to hear them now.

Side note: I had (and still have hanging in my closet at home) a jean jacket with a Queensrÿche logo on the back that I had someone airbrush for me. Next time I’m back, I’ll grab a picture of it for you.

Oh, don’t look at me that way. I’ve already told you about my heavy metal leanings.

Justin and Katie, smiling it up.

Justin absolutely insisted that he give Katie a piggyback ride for the photo. By this point in the night, he’s downed a goodly amount of drink, and pretty nutty. hehehehe.

Dave and Ryan work their Jedi Mind Tricks on the camera.

Nothing says "class" quite like drinking vodka out of a tupperware container.

LOL. This is Joe, literally worshipping the Miller High Life. At some point prior to this, I believe he and Justin were both pressed up against Cathie’s windows. There’s an El train that travels by, and the two of them were dancing and giving the passengers a show.

Me and Katie. :)

Ah, up on Cathie’s porch. I spent the remainder of the night just hanging out here and talking with folks. Very relaxing, and a very cool, calm thing going on.

Anthony, Katie and Ben, winding down.

The porch we’re on is actually a few stories up. Cathie’s apartment is on the third floor I think, and this porch is yet another floor above that. I tried to take a pic of the nearby factory (glassworks? Something like that), but it was dark and I was not altogether coordinated.

Ben, contemplating… something. I took this a few minutes before I left.

This is blurry and bad, but I don’t care. I took this in the cab ride on the way home, mainly because I wanted to capture the sensation. Despite the fact that I had no dinner and was drinking straight liquor all night, I didn’t really get all that crazy drunk. I did break a glass at the bar, but that was more clumsiness than anything else. Bacchus was deaf to my pleas, and that turned out to be ok.

But on the way home, I had the window rolled down, the wind was going across my face, and I was making my tired way slowly back to my apartment. I felt really good, indulgent even, for drinking as much as I did on a Wednesday. The city was flipping by and as I neared streets that I recognized, it felt like my neighborhood was rising up to greet and embrace me.

What a wonderful end to a wonderful day.