Scout Observation

It was a hot sunny Sunday, the temperature was at 98 degrees and the day was just beginning. The sound of the weights clinging against the rack after a set of bench press. Players grunting, coaches yelling at the top of there lungs encouraging the team to finish through. Just wishing you were apart of the weight lifting with the team. Walking out to the locker room to get dress for the upcoming field workout.

Division 1 football has finally occurred for the walk-on freshman fresh out of high school anxious to make there family back home proud. Helmets and shoulder pads being clipped on getting ready to go to work on the field. Adrenaline pumping, walking down the hill stepping on rocks trying to keep your balance as you walk towards the field. Teammates feeling good about starting camp. Especially seniors knowing this is there last year of college football. With everyone having their own mindset goal and that feeling that nothing going to stop them from achieving that goal.

Walking on the field with experienced players playing the same position as you. Bigger, taller, faster, and stronger than you. Nervous but anxious to earn a spot on the team and earn respect with your talent not your words. It's getting kind of hectic, the coach blows the whistle, sweat dripping out of the helmets of the players running to get ready for stretches. The young freshman hesitating to figure out where to go for the stretches. Seniors are leading by example.

The culture of the football team tradition is kind of tricky but manageable. Practicing while dump trucks carry large amounts of dirt and the wind blowing the dirt in your eyes. Preventing yourself from taking deep breathes knowing that your tired from running drills and the dirt in the air while make you choke. Coughs and sneezes around you consistently telling your teammates bless you. Some of the guys not getting a chance to get tired meaning there not apart workouts. That is the worse feeling for individuals.

For most of the individuals it's only the beginning of being a scout player not the end but for others it might be there last day in a college uniform.

Late Dinner

Two woman out late having coffee sit far away. They seem to be middle aged. They are very consumed with their phones. One is even charging the cell phone with the buildings wall outlet.

A family, older parents maybe mid-fifties sits away. Their son is a splitting image of the father. They seem to be a Harley based family. Curious.

Another family of all girls sits in corner. They're happy looking. Chatting about each other’s new starts to the school year.

The Harley's leave, they are mumbling something. They seem to be unhappy with the service speed.

The phone woman sit, oddly enough they seem to be sitting around doing their own anthropology work. They see a server or a customer and then giggle a bit. Chatting about who they're looking at.

The building seems crowded with an overabundance of staff. Most of them group up and chat.

The girl family in the corner seem to be eating a variety of different foods. This table looks like the happiest in here. Laughing and talking to each other.

The cell phone women look younger. Maybe 20 something's. Perhaps they are students come to enjoy coffee after the football game.

One server is desperately trying to find a cluster to talk to. It seems as though he is awkward to talk to.

The cell phone girls go on laughing and sharing things on each other’s phones. They have made it apparent to the whole restaurant that they are there. Everyone looks as they laugh and shout.

The awkward employee has found a chat partner in the busy manager. The manager seems to throw the awkward worker a bone. He puts out, "how is school going?". The worker jumps at the question but the manager finds a quick exit from the conversation.

A table far away is filled with older distinguished looking people. They sit looking like they work in local politics. Chatting conservatively but they have certainty been here for hours.

A student has come in. He asks for a table near an outlet. He seems frazzled. Like most students after a long week. He mouths the reading he is doing on his laptop. He looks determined to finish something. He orders orange juice.

The register girl looks tired. The receipt stack for the dinner rush is large. You can see the hours on her face. She tries to move forward after a long shift.

The cell phone girls both brandish hats and concert T’s from a country artist. One of them picks up the check for the two. The leave the store still giddy and giggling.

The distinguished table all focus on the words of one woman. She seems like the most important. maybe the leader of their group or the director of something they apart of.

The student rubs his head in stress, He is focused. But he has the time to question the stores selection of jelly or spreads. He reads the labels and then tells the awkward worker which he will have.

Finally one man from the distinguished table gets up to pay for the whole table. No one at the rest of the table is concerned with the check. perhaps they were all there on a treat from this man. They all leave. With suits on and hair done.

The student seems to be flirting with the waitress. She blushes as he makes a comment.

Two elderly woman sit in the table nearest. Maybe a mother and daughter but the daughter is over 60. They discuss the mother’s disdain for booths and how hard it is to get in them. The daughter teases that she is old. They ask each other when the last time it was they ate. And so on...

The student is still enveloped in his computer.

The girl family still enjoys the evening.

The awkward waiter has went home.

The tired register girl is still working hard.

Friday Night Flavors

It’s approximately 7:45pm and the sun set is five minutes gone. The traffic can be seen bustling. There’s a big window in front of the building provides for easy awareness of the environment outside. The television located in the south east corner of the building is broadcasting the local news program.

At my arrival I walked past two females sitting at the first table and up to the counter. The cashier bid me good night and inquired about my order. He quickly noticed, probably due to my indecisiveness that I was probably a first time customer and said he was going to give me a minute.

The number seven on the menu seemed to have stood out. So that is what I ordered. Since I’m new to the place I guess lucky old number seven will work for tonight.

The two females mentioned earlier, whom we will call Queen and Princess; could be seen devouring their enchilada plate. They seem to be very close with each other as I could over hear them speaking about their weekend plans of a family trip to Albuquerque. Both Queen and Princess are of Hispanic descent. Queen is a lady in her forty’s and Princess seems very familiar now; I believe she was in my Chemistry 112 class last semester.

Mr. Regular hangs up his phone and starts a conversation across the room with the cashier. Both seem full of humor and frequently spoke in short dialogue about project happening around locally and funny encounters they had during the week.

The cashier then signals me that my food is ready and I quickly rush over to the counter and back to my table. About four minutes into my beef taco plate Mr. Regular gets up and asks the waiter for a to go plate. The waiter goes out back to the kitchen and grabs him a plate. Mr. Regular then packs his left over and tells the waiter to have a great weekend.

It got really quiet after Mr. Regular left. Only the mechanical juicers could be heard mixing away. The local news seemed to be over and proceeding was a program paying tribute to the late comedian Joan Rivers.

It seems like the drive thru is pretty much busier than inside the restaurant itself. I observed approximately one vehicle driving through to order at least every seven minutes. While the cashier was handling a drive through order Queen and Princess got up, passed me and emptied their treys. Queen had probably been watching me scribbling away in my notebook the entire time and upon her return from emptying her trey, I took a quick glance at her and I could see her smiling at me. She was probably wondering what was so interesting about scribbling in my book since I had barely touched my taco plate. They then approached the counter, got their receipts and left.

After they left I entered the second half of my man vs. food war. As I was pretty close to finishing my plate an elderly couple Mr. and Mrs. Johnny come lately came in. They seem to be very energetic and entertaining type of senior citizens. The waiter quickly greeted them, the husband was rapid to inform him that they had heard that the restaurant was one of the best in town. Mr. and Mrs. Johnny come lately also pointed out that they just moved to Las Cruces today and that it’s their first night here in their retirement home. The waiter then congratulated them. Similar to myself they were undecided and it took a little for them to order. They then walked over to the table where Queen and Princess had sat earlier.

I was never able to finish my plate due to the fact that the food here is served in very large portions. I got up and emptied my plate, then paid for my food. I then stepped out into the dark night and returned home.

The Pond

At the university’s duck pond on a weekend night there are a strange mix of people milling about the pond. The weather is clear and perfect, a gentle breeze rips through the trees and moves the leaves creating that peaceful sound that all people love, and find comfort in. It’s past everyone’s bedtime. Long after the hour anything good happens. But this is a college campus and what good happens here really.

The first group I noticed seem to be a collection of drunk freshmen seeping out of the dorms. They are meandering around, stumbling on the short dry grass. There are probably seven or more of them, all probably under age. They are shouting and it takes me a moment to realize that they are actually singing a well-known pop song. They sit at the edge of the pond and a few light up cigarettes, or maybe something heavier. I’m at a distance away and can’t say for sure. They sit there and talk and shout amongst themselves. They are so care free and happy. Obviously the alcohol and smoke in their blood stream help with this attitude, but there is something nice about their youth and innocence. After fifteen minutes or so they got up and wondered back to the dorms, where they came from. Now the pond is silent. There is a cop car that passes periodically observing the campus, trying to find delinquents and misbehaviors.

After a few minutes a different crowd entirely walks by. It is a couple probably in their early twenties. They hold each other close and kiss under the stars. How nice. The girl is now talking. She seems to be telling a long story with much exaggeration. The boy sits patiently listening nodding at seemingly important parts, and interrupting with seemingly appropriate questions. I guess that’s what loves means. They stayed the longest and were still there when I departed back to my lodgings.

At the NMSU duck pond there is a diverse mix of people, certainly, but tonight consisted of young adults with freedom and friendship. The night air rings with different voices, and in the end there is a similar chorus that clamors with a summer night and youth, and all the joy and fun that comes with youth and a summer weekend. 

McDouble Birdie

The restaurant I work at is divided into two restaurant, The Double Birdie and Papitas Cafe. I was busing for the Double Birdie on a Thursday night. When I asked the Head Cook if Thursdays are usually busy, he replied "Ya, it's because it's prime rib night, but its football is on so everybody is gonna watch the game." The head cook has been there for 15 years.

We open at 5:00, but we didn't get a table until 6:04. The first table we received was an anniversary dinner of an elderly couple. They were both were dressed formal. The man pulled out the chair for his wife and than sat down. I offered them a choice between our filtered tap water or bottled water. The decided on filtered tap water. The woman was smiling and the man seemed like he was in a really good mood. When I went back to the kitchen the server had me bring them lemons. I brought sliced lemon to the table. The woman said thank you, the man didn't say anything. The both ordered salads for a first course. When they were done I cleared the dirty plates and was thanked by the couple. As the night went on they remained relatively quiet but they were talking. They had wine for an alcoholic beverage. Before they left they had me take a photo of them. They were thankful and very polite. Every time I asked them if i can do anything for them they said "No thanks."

At round the same time the elderly couple came into the Double Birdie, a young group of for people that had 3 males and just one female came into Papitas Cafe. Observing them from a distance I noticed that they ordered Margaritas and were talking loud, laughing, and joking around. They weren't being obnoxious,but they were loud enough for me to hear them. They ordered wings for a first course. They were dressed very casual. They would joke with the server and continue to enjoy there food. When the server would ask them if they needed anything, They would reply "No thanks Ma'am we're all good."

Through Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

Sounds of metal clinging and the smell of sweat filled the air. While the sun sets it provides the area a rich golden yellow hue.  Grunting and yelling can be heard from the opposite end of the room amongst the laughing and chatter.

After observing the room a bit more it can be seen that most of the crowd looks to be between the ages of 17-30 years of age. When not being knowingly observed the individuals seem to put less effort into their work. One may come to a thought of egotism. Yet the over all idea seems to be the same, do not stop.

All types seem to represented here, big, small, lean, fat, tall , short, and so on. Most seem to be unhappy with their outward appearances yet they do not mind attracting attention by passers near by. The culture represented in the area seems to be unique as all participants have a shared goal of being 'better', what ever that may be.

The culture is also split in and of itself. It looks to be roughly split into three subcategories, the beginners who are wondering aimlessly around the area doing various activities for non-uniform amounts of time. Intermediate who show signs of a committed routine but vary in times that they arrive to the building. Lastly, there are the 'advanced' who show almost a ritualistic loyalty to their activity and have harvested the fruits of their labor but now seem to be committed to perfecting their physical attributes.

Another common trait shared by most of the goers is the use of personal music players, the music is vastly different as is the mindset associated with it. Examples can be found everywhere, from the beginner listening to rap/hip-hop genres, intermediate listening to heavy metal, and the advanced goer listening to classical or nothing at all!

Specific individuals will be picked at a later time and provided with names that are used by this culture.