On The Beach...

For the second year in a row, as the lowest person on the totem pole in my department at work, I got appointed to serve on the Peer Recognition Committee. This year, we decided to totally eschew a live performance in favor of a series of digital media presentations themed after reality television. We opted for three videos, patterned after Project Runway, American Idol, and The Real World, which allowed me to stay out of the majority of the presentation by staying behind the camera. However, for our fourth segment, we chose to rely upon the skills of another committee member, Jessica, who is a new hire in the photography department. We chose to make a photo montage inspired by The Amazing Race of our committee "on location" at the North Avenue Beach, engaged in wacky race-like activities.

We started off with what was supposed to be a potato sack race, but because potato sacks could not be sourced within our zero-budget means, we had to employ garbage bags from the museum. Since we did our photography on a frigid December day, there were at least very few people using the Lakefront Trail for biking or jogging, so our little spectacle had very few spectators.

The plastic bags were a less-than-ideal solution, as they tore easily as we attempted to hop along the beach in them.

Our second activity was a three-legged race, but we forgot to bring any rope with us, so we had to utilize more garbage bags to bind our legs. I was paired with Rachel, the latest hire in the museum's development department, and we did not win in our event, though we made a valiant effort. Mostly, we were just cold and eager to finish and head back to the relative warmth of our offices.

At the very least, we were blessed with sunshine for the afternoon. The whole experience would have been infinitely less pleasant if it had been snowing. As it was, it was almost fun. We all got a good laugh out of the experience, and it was nice to have a break from our daily routines. Ultimately, the photos will be paired with silly captions and set to the inspirational tones of "You're The Best" from The Karate Kid. At this point, all that's left is to pray our coworkers appreciate our sense of humor...