Part 3b

Wow, what a great fair tonight - totally made up for any bad vibes over the past 24 hours!

Anyway. Like I said, I can't make this stuff up... and it's so ridiculous I just have to tell everyone.

Finally found Randolph, NJ, and easily found the college. As I was driving in, I asked some kids who were directing traffic where to park - and they told me I had to drive up a ways, turn around, and go back and park in a lower lot. So I went up and I saw empty spots in the upper lot, but they had told me I could only park in the lower lot so, being the rule-follower I am, I went back to the lower lot.

And proceeded to have to climb up 4 flights of stairs and multiple hills with all of my college fair luggage... to the building right next to the upper lot. There wasn't even a handicap ramp so I could roll my suitcase! I was really thanking myself for not putting on my heels.

As I said previously, I was an hour late by this point, although the fair was 3 hours so at least I only missed a third of it - could have been much worse. The girl who shared the table with me told me it had just started to pick up, but I talked to several families immediately - which is great.

Except for the fact that all of a sudden my hearing was amplified and my vision started to white out.

You should know a little something about my fainting history. I have a habit of fainting about once a year, although I've been able to fend-off all recent scares since probably summer of '05 when I fainted in the shower. It happens when I'm overheated (I had been taking an unacceptably long shower, and I like hot showers, so that explains that) and when I'm not breathing right, and sometimes when I haven't had enough to eat.

I was all of the above yesterday - hot from running up hills with luggage (and there was no ventilation in the gym), out of breath from speaking rapidly with families, and undernourished because I didn't get to eat the PB&J I had packed since I was late... add to that a fast heart rate because of being so anxious over being late. I hate being late.

At college fairs, if you're professional you don't sit down in your chair. So even though I felt a faint coming on, I got out my water bottle and really tried to fight it because I didn't want to have to sit down. But eventually the desire not to sit down was outweighed by the desire not to pass out. The girl next to me faints like I do, and she almost fainted, too... so it's not just me.

Good news: I didn't faint. I came awfully close, though, and I couldn't even see the family I was speaking with. It's not fair because this was the second time it happened this year - the pattern is supposed to be only once. More good news: the student with whom I was speaking at the time of needing to sit down came to see me at his high school this morning, so my unprofessional sitting down didn't turn him off of the school (I did apologize profusely as I was sitting down).

So everything is ok, except perhaps my reputation - I am sure it looked to others like I was hungover on a Sunday morning. Even though it's not the truth, it's embarrassing that it might have even appeared that way because that's so not my life.

That was the end of the excitement, although I was fully prepared for more. I should have known - all of the mini crises from the week should have warned me. Lost pen, forgotten keys, lost sunglasses, etc.

It's funny... last year was not a great year for AC in my territory during travel season. Not a lot of students, unfriendly counselors... but I personally did just fine traveling. This year it seems to be a swap - great for AC, bad for me. Not bad for me entirely... just a lot more adventurous.

And now I have a cold coming on!! and my hotel room is out of tissues. It is downright laughable.