Yes, the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf held its biennial conference in Atlanta this year, and I swear I have not encountered so many escalators, elevators, and stairs in my life as a Goddess! But do not worry as I did not let any fear or uncertainty become a barrier as I decided to approach the EEAS (pronounced in letters like Rachel Ray does with her EVOO...extra virgin olive oil... but meaning escalators, elevators, and stairs) in the same Goddessy manner that I approach my work on the trampoline. With BlackBerry and binoculars in hand, I boldly began to document this Escher-esque journey because I was sure that my Moth readers would and should feel, at least vicariously, the thrill I experienced over and over and over.
As I toured the city, as I am wont to do, I decided to let MARTA zoom me about. I thought it quite pleasant that Atlantians named their subway train system "Marta"...what a nice way to make a subway train feel more friendly!...PLUS the escalator down (and up) to (and from) the train was the longest I had ever seen thus far, and I needed several opportunities for photo ops. I also took time to document with my BlackBerry camera the more than twenty escalators in the Escher-esque hotel, the Marriot Marquis.
It is amazing how folks are more than willing to join in your adventure and are quick to offer tips and leads, cuz as I went through the hotel, shooting pictures with my BlackBerry camera, feeling my aura of spy-like international intrigue return as though I was shooting a laser gun in an episode of laser tag, I was told several times over that the CNN building right by my hotel had an eight-floor escalator just as I was also reminded at least twice of the musical stair video posted on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpUoA5slRX4. I knew right away in my golden gut, much like how I knew immediately that the grape-pop-scented t-shirt reminding me of the scratch-and-sniff stickers I adored as a girl at the World of Coca Cola's gift shop needed to be mine, that I needed to fit a trip there in my already busy schedule. I had to fit this reconnaissance mission in between workshops and visits to the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Aquarium with its moving sidewalk, Centennial Olympic Park, and the Margaret Mitchell Museum. And it didn't disappoint. The escalator, that is. The rush I felt in the two and a half minute, 205 feet long ascension of the world's longest free standing escalator was nothing short of breathless. And I made sure to snap pictures of each of the staircases as the tour group descended the eight stories.
In addition to all the Escher-esque escalators I filmed in the Marquis were the fabulous glass elevators, reported to be fast, that took riders up and down the 47 floors. How I longed to go to the top, feel dizzy and ditzy as I would look over the ledge, and then take the elevator down without the interruption of stops! And how fortunate was I when Goddess Nancy found out from those aforementioned advice givers that if you hold the "close door" and "floor-that-you-want" buttons down simultaneously, the elevator would not stop for any passengers on any floor. Once again, we summoned our Goddess courage and made our way to the 47th floor and peered over its ledge while we fought an ultra weird urge to drop our BlackBerries over the edge (that was really weird, wasn't it, Goddess Nancy? Still haven't figured out THAT one...).
ANYWAY. I parked myself on the floor of the glass elevator while Goddess Nancy manned the buttons, and down we went...for only a foot's distance 'til we got stuck (that feeling was really weird, too, wasn't it, Goddess Nancy? Although this one is easier to figure out why...). No worries at all, though, because after a minute or so, our elevator descended, and WOWZA! I thought that that eight floor escalator ride couldn't be topped, but I was WRONG with a capital W! This 46 ½ floor drop was insanely and wickedly exciting! And I was SOOOO in the moment that I didn't think to activate the video feature of my BlackBerry to capture the excitement of it all. No matter, cuz we were so completely breathless and in awe of our bravery when we arrived at the bottom that we knew in our Goddess guts that we needed to celebrate with sushi. So we did.
All in all, as I reflected on the whole trip while I was removing items from my ultra hefty suitcase before checking it in to bring it down from 58 pounds to 50 to avoid the 100 dollar surcharge (seriously, I know how to travel, but does a girl really need to bring 10 sundresses when she is gone only six days? Uh, YEAH!), and as I am preparing to file this report with The Moth, I knew and know that this was a successful and productive trip. And while I have no advice to offer specifically today, other than DO face an Escher-esque world with the grace and dignity and bravery worthy of a Goddess and DON’T let fear stop you in any of your Goddess endeavors, I DO invite you to sit back and enjoy the slide show.
GL, 8/3/2011. Prevail.
So is giggling like a demented hippie befitting of a Goddess? I say yes, especially when said Giggling gave me the distraction I needed to keep from hyperventilating when the lift stopped on us at 46.5... <3 You.
ReplyDeleteSplendid--I feel I have been there and survived. Vicarious vacationing at its luminous best. Enjoyed that meal half way through the pics too!
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