Weekend Warrior: "WE ARE NOT NORMAL" ~ Deon Butler

I heard this yesterday:

"it's been said that we just don't recognize the 

significant moments of our lives while they're happening"

For the most part, I'd say that I agree. However, this school year has been and will continue to be one of the most significant periods of time in my life and I am FULLY RECOGNIZING IT! One BIG reason: WE ARE! PENN STATE! .... Saaayyy whaaat?! Georgetown, Christie, helloooo you go to Georgetown. I know I know, but every Saturday I am a "Rhinoette": a Penn State football game day waitress at Rhino.

How I adore the "BLUE ONLY" second floor of the bar. The usual suspects arrive early and the wisecracks, beatings, and car bombs begin! (Wisecracks, beatings, car bombs, OH MY!) Although we're all severely hung over (I don't drink, ever.) and in pain over the early start, I secretly adore this part of the day.  It's like a playground. The boys tease the girls about our less than respectable decisions the night before, we retaliate by throwing punches (very ladylike, I know), followed by Oscar yelling choice expletives and putting Brittany and me in a double headlock. So much love. We swap stories, joke around, and get those regular customers intoxicated with beer and happiness.

Then it's GAME TIME. "Ohhh ohhhh ohhh LET'S GO STATE!" The norms: hot wing sauce stains on my shorts, beer on my shoes, a few bruises, a couple of love taps, and a drunken rendition of "Scotty Doesn't Know" at half time. Cheers for Joe Pa, boos for Ohio State, and at some point an empty beer pitcher is used for: "dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun P dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun S dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun U"

Hi, my name is Christie, and I'm a Saturdayaholic.

These days pulled me out of my funk and changed my life forever. Just about every "Saturday night was the greatest night of my life" experience started at Rhino with these people and ventured on from there. They reminded me that there are fabulously, wonderful, caring, and funny people in DC who love me. The Crew: Brittany, Oscar, Misty, Porter, JC, George & more / The Amazing Regulars: you know who you are, made it absolutely impossible for me to ever be unhappy and I love them for that. They don't even know the impact that they had on me this fall but I think that makes it even better.

As immature and silly as this job can be, I've actually managed to grow more mature. I have confidence. I can set a rude customer straight, I can sell our products, I know how to build relationships, and I can walk into any chaotic, restaurant environment and know that I can handle it. Without Saturday mornings, I never would have been able to take the bull by the horns and bartend last weekend.

I'm bringing this up now because PANG, a wave of depression hits every time I think about the season ending. It's all I can think about this week (I'm writing a term paper for Sports & Society on the social implications of PSU Football). This weekend, PSU plays at FedEx Field so everyone is going to the game (someone tell Dave to let Brittany and me go! haha) Next weekend, I'm in Jersey for Thanksgiving. And that's all, folks! I'll miss every second of Saturday mornings that extended into long Saturday nights.

I just cried a little. Is that weird? Sweet Jesus, I'm my father's daughter.

Chicken Soup for the Soul by Sassarella: really really really try to recognize the significant moments in life as they happen. I am thankful that whenever I think back on my senior fall, I will remember being so happy it almost feels fake. The best part though: I've never felt more ALiVE.

Dr. Phil Sassarella: No matter the environment, if you can find a job you love, then 95% of the time it won't feel like work. Figure out what you want and DO IT. I will own a bar one day and you all get an invite to the grand opening! Anyone else have a job they love? I'm going to need suggestions for when football season is official over (GASP! Don't even say it, Christine!) I promise I'm done venting. Seriously though, WE ARE NOT NORMAL WE ARE PENN STATE. Ok...now I'm really done.