Brian had a great first semester at FIU. I will let him write more about it, but he really enjoyed his classes and his first TA assignment. I, at the time, was working for Gamestop. I was really excited when I got called for an interview, because I thought it would be a fun job. I've shopped at many Gamestops over the years, and I thought I knew what to expect. And apparently, had I worked at just about any other Gamestop, I would have been correct. But I had the bad fortune to work for a store manager who believed that "sales" meant twisting people's arms until they agreed to buy your product. The job, which had been described as a "customer service" position, was really only about what you sold. And not the video games you sold, but the extras. There was the Edge card, which cost $15/year, replacement plans, which cost $2-3/game, and reserves for upcoming titles, which were a minimum of $5. That's right, in a period of economic recession, we were pushing $20+ dollars of merchandise on people. There was an immense amount of pressure, and our numbers were constantly monitored. I didn't enjoy it. And then, after 2 weeks, I got promoted from the basic part-time Game Advisor position, past Lead Game Advisor, to Senior Game Advisor. At the time, the store had no Assistant Manager, and the other SGA was on the verge of being fired, so I was dealing with the intense sales pressure and learning a whole new job before I'd completely learned the first one I had and was somehow suddenly second in command. It was a lot at once, but I think it would have been fine if it hadn't been for the intense pressure to sell, sell, sell. But I had a feeling I was in for more than I expected when, in my first week, 3 different people warned me about working for the store manager. One worked at a different store and actually said that working for him was not representative of working at Gamestop. And the way I dealt with customers was not representative of my shopping experiences at any other Gamestop, both before and after I worked there. Needless to say, I was miserable and stayed there until shortly before we left for Ohio. I knew I was starting school when we got back and there was no way I could have shouldered all the pressure of the job plus full time school.
We left for Ohio in mid-December. We planned on a 2 day trip. Day 1 we went from Miami to Macon, GA. We took the Tamiami Trail through the Everglades, which was a really amazing experience. About a half hour in, we saw our first gator. It just sunning itself not far from the road, and it was huge! I wasn't able to get a picture because we were traveling about 60 mph, but we got to see about 10-12 more as we went, both on the banks and swimming through the water. We also drove through a Florida panther habitat. We didn't see any panthers, but they are very endangered and are rarely seen. We stopped in Gainesville that evening to have dinner with our friend Scott, which was great. Then we continued on to Macon. The second day of the drive was, for the most part, uneventful. Somewhere in Tennessee, we saw snow for the first time. By the time we reached Ohio, the snow had picked up significantly. So much that it took us about 3 hours and 40 extra miles of driving through back routes to get from Cincinnati to Brian's parents' house in Dayton. The drive normally takes just a little over an hour. But first there was an accident on 75, and then we had to weave slowly through back roads and alternate routes until we finally made it.
We had a great time in Ohio. We had the opportunity to visit with Brian's family, Maria, and many of our friends. I could write about it, but I will just post some pictures so you can see for yourself.
In addition to the pictures above, Brian and I also visited the Air Force Museum. It was always one of our favorite places to spend an afternoon. We went to Cincinnati for a day and visited the University of Cincinnati, Newport on the Levee, and the zoo. I stopped in to visit my old co-workers and we went to the Festival of Lights. And I got to meet my old roommate Chrissy for lunch. It was busy, but a lot of fun, and we were glad we were able to make the trip.
We ended up staying in Ohio a little longer than planned due to the weather. After the trip up, we were erring on the side of caution so we didn't have to repeat that experience. So, we delayed for two days because the forecast called for snow, icy roads, and fog. And of course, both days the weather did not deliver. On the third day, when we finally left, the roads in Ohio were a bit icy. We hit construction in Kentucky and a minor accident in Tennessee that slowed us down, and after that, the drive home was smooth sailing.
I have plenty more to share, but I think that's enough for this entry. More updates soon!
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