When we got there just before 7:30, Mark Nizer (with whom Sean's been practicing at Chelsea) and Robin Hu (with whom I've been emailing) were both
trying to get in. Mark's card had expired, and Robin wanted to buy one. The guard told them to wait for the manager.
Sean swiped his card and walked past, but the guard started yelling at him and said he hadn't swiped, so he walked back and swiped again.
I swiped then said that I was expecting a kid to meet me there, and I'd be responsible for him (I knew Thomas had had trouble last week and that Sam from Chicago would be here this week). The guard told me I had to wait for the manager. He said they wouldn't page me, and they wouldn't let the kid in without me. I said why not I'd already be inside, so he wouldn't be inside without me. He said he wouldn't know which kid. I said I'd take responsibility for any kid who showed up wanting to juggle. He said I had to wait for the manager. I asked why I had to wait, and he said I couldn't go up without swiping. I said I'd just swiped for him. He made me swipe again. I went up.
While we were going through all this, Reeses also showed up and couldn't get in.
I went up to juggle (only Slammin and Sean were there) and very, very gradually, Mark, then Reeses, then Robin came up. Robin said, "Wow! They're slower here than at the DMV!" I asked him whether a kid was trying to get in, and he said a kid with glasses was buying a membership. I figured that was Sam, so I went down to be his grown-up. When I got there and pointed him out, the guard said kids couldn't come in even with a grown-up. I said the manager said it was okay last week. He asked me to say the manager's name as though I was lying. Sam came over with his new card during this and the guard said only the manager could let him in and she said he couldn't get in. Then Sam said the security guard told him he could get in. The guard said he was the only guard there, "See this shirt. This means I'm security." Sam said the woman was wearing a shirt just like his only white. The guard said that meant she was the manager not a guard. He sounded triumphant like he'd caught us, but I'm thinking, didn't he just say only the manager could allow it?
Then he takes another look at Sam and says, "aren't you the one with the birthday in November? We said you could come in." But he turns to me and says, "Your 16-year-old kid can't come in." I didn't even know how he knew Thomas was 16, but he claimed I'd told him before. So I'm all confused, because not only did they let him in last week with a grown-up, but even an hour earlier they'd told me I'd need to be there at the desk for him to get in and now they were saying he couldn't come in at all. I ask again, and again he says no he can't come in at all.
What am I supposed to do? I walk back up to the gym and see Ray. So I walk over to him and say, "Ray, I think they're making up new rules all the time." While I'm telling him what happened, Thomas walks in. He tells me they asked him how old he was, he said 16, and they waved him in. WTF?!? I'm just glad he made it.
Whatever. Everyone got in. Even Sky and Krista who showed up much later with no IDs.
Besides the front desk nuttiness, it was freaking hot, which feels awful but helps my juggling. I got a new record of ten catches (clean) of triple-singles and qualified 552 (no starting with three though). Oddly my normal four-club pattern felt very shaky and lopsided. Mark said the club had a good energy because everyone was working on something (not just sitting around). That was cool. I said it was too miserably hot and muggy to come there unless you really wanted to juggle.
Chinese was fine, except we were about $20 short. Again, WTF? Everyone threw in another dollar, and the kitty threw in $10.
Came home. Ate freezer-burnt frozen yogurt. Typed that just now and thought of yurts.
Sean swiped his card and walked past, but the guard started yelling at him and said he hadn't swiped, so he walked back and swiped again.
I swiped then said that I was expecting a kid to meet me there, and I'd be responsible for him (I knew Thomas had had trouble last week and that Sam from Chicago would be here this week). The guard told me I had to wait for the manager. He said they wouldn't page me, and they wouldn't let the kid in without me. I said why not I'd already be inside, so he wouldn't be inside without me. He said he wouldn't know which kid. I said I'd take responsibility for any kid who showed up wanting to juggle. He said I had to wait for the manager. I asked why I had to wait, and he said I couldn't go up without swiping. I said I'd just swiped for him. He made me swipe again. I went up.
While we were going through all this, Reeses also showed up and couldn't get in.
I went up to juggle (only Slammin and Sean were there) and very, very gradually, Mark, then Reeses, then Robin came up. Robin said, "Wow! They're slower here than at the DMV!" I asked him whether a kid was trying to get in, and he said a kid with glasses was buying a membership. I figured that was Sam, so I went down to be his grown-up. When I got there and pointed him out, the guard said kids couldn't come in even with a grown-up. I said the manager said it was okay last week. He asked me to say the manager's name as though I was lying. Sam came over with his new card during this and the guard said only the manager could let him in and she said he couldn't get in. Then Sam said the security guard told him he could get in. The guard said he was the only guard there, "See this shirt. This means I'm security." Sam said the woman was wearing a shirt just like his only white. The guard said that meant she was the manager not a guard. He sounded triumphant like he'd caught us, but I'm thinking, didn't he just say only the manager could allow it?
Then he takes another look at Sam and says, "aren't you the one with the birthday in November? We said you could come in." But he turns to me and says, "Your 16-year-old kid can't come in." I didn't even know how he knew Thomas was 16, but he claimed I'd told him before. So I'm all confused, because not only did they let him in last week with a grown-up, but even an hour earlier they'd told me I'd need to be there at the desk for him to get in and now they were saying he couldn't come in at all. I ask again, and again he says no he can't come in at all.
What am I supposed to do? I walk back up to the gym and see Ray. So I walk over to him and say, "Ray, I think they're making up new rules all the time." While I'm telling him what happened, Thomas walks in. He tells me they asked him how old he was, he said 16, and they waved him in. WTF?!? I'm just glad he made it.
Whatever. Everyone got in. Even Sky and Krista who showed up much later with no IDs.
Besides the front desk nuttiness, it was freaking hot, which feels awful but helps my juggling. I got a new record of ten catches (clean) of triple-singles and qualified 552 (no starting with three though). Oddly my normal four-club pattern felt very shaky and lopsided. Mark said the club had a good energy because everyone was working on something (not just sitting around). That was cool. I said it was too miserably hot and muggy to come there unless you really wanted to juggle.
Chinese was fine, except we were about $20 short. Again, WTF? Everyone threw in another dollar, and the kitty threw in $10.
Came home. Ate freezer-burnt frozen yogurt. Typed that just now and thought of yurts.
