I Hope You Know...

One would think that working for the State of New Jersey in the beautiful metropolis of Trenton would be kinda lame, but we’re finding that the government employees find their own little ways to spice up life.

When you first walk into the building, you’re greeted by an overstuffed Cabbage Patch doll sitting alone in a rather large corner office. The employees pass it as if dolls running the show is normal. I think it's government humor, which is too sophisticated for my dead baby jokes. Some would argue that Patchy is a true politician, never busy at work. Instead, little P positioned a scantly clad Barbie doll directly in front of him, furiously tapping at a mini computer (or at least I believe that’s what she would be doing if she were real). We had our guesses as to what this get-up was all about … Steve legitimately thought it was a “little person”. Trevor thought it was a standard centerpiece of Jersey government offices. Our client told us it was a tribute to a few dozen employees who retired at the same time. I think “retired” means something different in New Jersey: budget cuts.

As we walk towards our desks, we’re surrounded by a showcase of “treasures”. Each cubicle is dressed to the nines with arrangements of what most would call crap, but to these NJ employees, museum-ready exhibits. One gentleman had a lovely collection of glass elephants. Another lady has a lovely assortment of rubber duckies. Today I discovered a real piece of art- a framed black and white head shot of Jessica Simpson, only her eyes have been colored a demon-like red. Smithsonian, are you there? It’s me, Jersey.

And while we’re still uncovering more and more delights de Jerz, the most incredible phenomenon of our office is the stunning array of ringtones. Most notability, Miss Fergie’s hit “Big Girls Don’t Cry” rings about 4 times a day. This music connoisseur is never at his/her desk and never puts his/her ring on silent. Honestly, if I had that ringtone, I wouldn’t either. Four times a day of "I hope you know, I hope you knoww ... that this has nothing to do with you". Well Jersey government employee, what DO you hope that we know?? Actually what IS most notable is the fact that we believe this phone is owned by the little Indian man who sits behind us. It puts a little joy in my cold, southern heart to think that every time he hears Fergie’s sweet, sweet voice, he feels empowered - cause she’s right - big girls don't cry.

Each day I'm delighted by the small wonders each New Jerseyan(?) brings to the job. I can’t wait to discover what awaits us next week.

The Chicken and Waffles Saga

First off, this is a blog maintained by Trevor M and Cristina M because we've been assigned to a project in Trenton, NJ for the next 6 months and we needed a way to share the beauty and culture of Trenton with all of you in cyberspace.

We're currently on week 2 of our journey and we've been staying at the Marriott in downtown Trenton. Let's just say that the Marriott is our own type of prison. It's a nice prison, with a decent happy hour and a local specialty called Trenton Tea, but a prison nonetheless. Why would a hotel be a prison you ask? Well, we don't feel so good about going outside after dark in Trenton. We equate it to going outside in the dark during the movie "I Am Legend." The world can be a scary place after dark in Trenton. Our client lead warned us during our first day that Trenton has a lot of "gangs, and also a lot of shootings." So we hang out in the prison after dark and watch the Olympics.

During the daylight hours though, we, like all people, are foraging for food. During our first stroll through the golden streets of Trenton, we noticed a restaurant named T.R.Y. J.'s Chicken and Waffles. Now, let me make a brief aside here; I went to school at Pepperdine University and one of the main reasons we left the idyllic town of Malibu was to venture into downtown LA for some Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. Its a cultural and culinary experience all wrapped up into one. I'm a huge fan of chicken and waffles - sweet and savory, protein and carbs, plus who doesn't love waffles at any time of the day. So the fact that Trenton has a chicken and waffles place had the off-chance of being the one redeeming quality of staying in this otherwise less-than-mediocre city. Cristina was equally intrigued so we made it a point to research how we could possibly get a meal at this rare find.

The decor is exotic; a peacock would feel very at home inside this place. We walked by and tried to find the hours of operation but they weren't listed. We scoured the internet and found some pretty stellar reviews. In addition to odd hours of service, they also have a church alternative service at 9 am on Sundays followed by, you guessed it, a brunch featuring chicken and waffles. I called their phone number and they advertised their $10 express lunch. We were so determined to go to T.R.Y.'s that we scheduled a meeting nearby right around lunchtime. We left just shy of noon and arrived at the front door, our mouths salivating for a taste of double fried heaven, only to find the doors locked. The one potential saving grace of Trenton - closed with no signs of opening in the forseeable future.

What are these consultants to do..... maybe we'll just have to stay in Princeton next week.