My Trip to Hell a.k.a Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

Since my last blog post in March (whoops) I’ve had weekends away in Miami, Boston, NYC and Chicago.   My trip to NYC was to visit Caitlin along with our friends Alyssa, Molly and Kristine from Boston. 

This trip was both fun and educational.   I learned something on this trip…

No it wasn’t that if you drink a bottle of champagne before dinner, a bottle of wine with dinner, beers after dinner, throwing in a shot here or there all while only having one meal split between two people that you’ll be wicked hung over the next day (This would be kind of a no brainer; one would think).

Yes, this was our dinner.

Still in her dress from the night before not ready to be a hostess with the mostess.

No it wasn’t that I’ll never live there because I couldn’t handle the shit…I mean dirt storms I breathed in walking into the subway (I think they took a year off my life).

No it wasn’t that my friend Alyssa can make us laugh by the things she says and does (“Hey Kristine, take a picture of me and Pedro”).   

Pedro is holding a Corona.

No it wasn’t that I’ll do anything even if that means people are going to stare (hey we all were supposed to wear the matching I Love NYC shirts around town, how is it my fault only Kristine and I did). 

No it wasn’t that I miss these girls like crazy (I already knew that).

What was it then?

It was that I, Kristina Lynn Skuster, have automatonophoba a fear of wax figures. 

Here we are in NYC where the sky is the limit and where do we decide to go?   Madame Tussauds Wax Museum - obviously.   The main reason behind this choice was that we were hot and hung over and this place has air conditioning.   There we are.  Waiting our turn.  In our matching I Love NYC shirts.   Minding our own business as people stare and whisper.  Some may have even yelled how much they loved our shirts or at least that’s what they said… 

Finally it is our turn.  We get our picture taken with a giant gorilla and are allowed in where the wax figures are.   This is where…

My heart starts to flutter.

I sweat a little.

I feel really light headed.

And all of a sudden feel the need to run for my life. 

Have you ever been to a wax museum?  All I see is a sea of heads not knowing which are wax and which are real.  I did not love.  AT ALL.  

I couldn’t tell who was real and who was fake.

People were taking pictures of us instead of the wax figures. 

I don't know why people took pictures of us?  I mean for real.

It was a scene and not in a good way. 

We finally make it to the end and I’m beyond relieved.  The woman is directing you to the right or to the left.   To the right you got to leave.  To the left you got to see the 4D movie.   We were directed to the left.

The “15 minute wait” turned into more like thirty minutes of hell.  Mostly because these two gentlemen talked to Judy Garland the entire time.  No joke.  The entire time.

Creepers.

It is finally time to get into the 4D movie.  Freedom is near. 

Again I ask, have you ever been to a 4D movie?  We should have really figured out what it was but it is basically a 3D movie with….

Mist on your face at moments.

A rocking of the chair.

Bubbles smelling like pneumonia coming down from the ceiling. 

And my favorite…A PUNCH IN THE BACK.

This is when I grabbed my purse…took off my glasses…and looked for the nearest exit.

We were in hell.   In fact, I do believe I checked us into hell on Facebook and it was already an option.

I will never step foot in Madame Tussauds Wax Museum ever again.   On my way out I may have even told the guy at the door he’d be hearing from my lawyers…

Live Out Loud AOD Style

I left Boston to come back to Minnesota on March 2, 2010.  I stepped off the plane, looked at the 3 feet of snow around me and said “What the hell was I thinking? Um, take me back now thanks.” 

At the time I thought leaving Boston was going to be one of the hardest things I ever had to do.  I didn’t want to do it.  I told everyone I did but that was a lie.  I loved Boston.  I had great friends, was having tons of fun and loved the independence.   When I chose to move back to Minnesota I knew that meant moving back in with my parents and having to figure out how my life fit back into the Minnesota life style of being married and having babies.  I didn’t know if I was ready for that but knew that Minnesota was calling so I answered. 

A year later here I sit staring at even more snow than when I landed a year ago and am thinking about what a great decision I made.

Even though my life in the last year has sometimes been a Lifetime movie, I can’t help but think what I wouldn’t have learned about myself if I hadn’t made this move.  I lost a close friend to cancer which was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through.  I lost another close friend due to unnecessary bull shit and drama.   On the flip side I have rekindled old friendships.  Started new friendships with people I would have never met otherwise.   Became the Chapter Advisor for my sorority down at Gustavus and am having so much fun.   Live with my parents again and totally love it.  So many wonderful and not so wonderful things have happened in the last year and I have learned so much. 

I struggled at the beginning.  My friend, Ms. Annie O’Dell (AOD), passed away about 7 weeks after I moved home.   She was the main reason I answered that call.  No matter what has happened in the last year and my struggles with being back, I wouldn’t trade any of that for the 7 weeks I got to spend with her, our friends and her family talking about love, life and our grief.  Every day I put on my Team Annie bracelet.   Every day I think of her.   The year anniversary of her death is coming up soon.   Annie’s positive outlook and love for life gets each of us through each day.  She truly lived her motto “Live out loud.” 

So today as I reflect on the last year and the ups and down I think of Annie and how she taught me to live out loud and because of that I took a big risk and now am loving it.   I’m not ready to read it quite yet but Annie was one in a million and you should check out her blog so you too can live out loud and have her change your life.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”  -Mahatma Gandhi

Spring, baseball and Matt Graza, my bff.

We had a heat wave here in Minnesota the last few days.  It has been a scorching 35 degrees in February.   Get out the shorts!

The rising temperatures and hint of Spring means baseball season is around the corner!   Teams are starting to report.  Over-paid players are already trying to get more money for next year.   It’s a great American past time, right?

Baseball season is not my favorite.  I love, love, LOOOOOOOVE Target Field and watching the game live but I could really do without it the rest of the time.  There was a time that if you asked me who Joe Mauer, AROD, Manny Rameriz, Big Papi, Theo Epstein (I understand he doesn’t PLAY but he’s totally adorable and worth a mention) were I would have had no idea.  This brings me to my run in with Matt Garza.  For those that may not know who he is, he is an ex-pitcher of the Twins, recent ex-pitcher of Tampa Bay Rays, and now current pitcher for the Cubs.  

Yes, he is that attractive.   The zoom could have been on or I was actually that close.  Smoooth operator I am not.



Back to me.  And Matt Garza.

So I was at the Lodge, located in Downtown Minneapolis, for my roommate Shannon’s birthday.   (Loved that place, I miss you.)   If you have never been there it well looked like the inside of a log cabin.  It had dear heads on the wall, antlers, a big life-sized stuffed bear, a live band, and lots of drunk recent college grads.   Did I mention I loved that place?   

Anywho, we’re all out having a good time.  Dancing…  Taking shots… Drinking lots of captain/coke’s – Shannon’s fav…   when one of the guys in the group comes up to me and said take a picture with Garza.   Now, I had just met some of these people that evening so I said “okay!”, turned, put my arm around their friend Tyler, and smiled for the camera.

Everyone laughed…  Clearly I was not in the know.    It was explained to me that “Garza” was Matt Garza, a Twins pitcher, and they pointed me in his direction.   Because I’m so shy, I took the camera and off I went.   I started snapping photos like the paparazzi. (Exhibit A: The picture above.)   He was with a blonde girl who looked barely 21, I pushed her out of the way, gave someone the camera and so is the picture of my bff, Matt Garza:



I think its love.



I always forget about this picture until my friend Amy reminds me it exists which is usually when Matt Garza has a good game.    Welcome back to the Midwest Matt Garza!   I’m so glad the restraining order has been lifted.

Here’s to Spring!!!!!!!!!!!!  And baseball.

BOOM. I’m back.

Did you miss me?? 

I had a list of topics I was going to blog about… 

I took pictures in preparation to blog about it…

And shocker (or maybe not…) it didn’t happen. 

I would get asked – New Blog Post Monday?   New Blog Post Thursday?

What can I say besides read the first paragraph of my original post.    I'll try to do better.