Today I played paintball for the first time in my life. Anyone who's seen the fabulous late 90's movie 10 Things I Hate About You and has not been paintballing before knows what I expected it to be like. Remember that scene where Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger go to that outdoor field, where they proceed to splatter each other with paint-filled balloons, while they don giant white jumpsuits and goggles more fitting for a chemistry classroom than the battlefield? Well, that's what I anticipated on today's excursion.
To my surprise and dismay, instead of white jumpsuits and brightly colored balloons, I was met with chest protectors and giant guns. Men in camo with workboots and paint pellets stomped around the Staten Island battlegrounds, hungry for victory. I hid behind fences and iron barrels, netting, and piles of branches. When I stood up to get a better view of my attackers, I was instantly pelted with paint pellets, and rather than dying an elegant paint-filled death, I merely put my hands up in surrender and walked to the out-of-bounds area.
While there were definitely some low points to the experience, the great thing that came out of today is the satisfaction of having brightly colored paint spots all over my solid black pants, sneakers, and hoodie. I felt so hip and artistic riding the subway back from Brooklyn into Manhattan.
In other news, I want to thank everyone who stopped by our table in Union Square today. This was our first table this spring, and there was a very good turn out despite the cool weather. We look forward to the many (warmer) Sundays ahead in the Square this spring!
Happy Sunday!
