- These rules are My Rules and may change at any time as I need them to. It is, after all, My Quest.
- I will attempt to partake in a minimum of 1 free event each week between now and mid-December 2010 (the date is waffle-y because I am not sure exactly when I'll be leaving NYC). If for some reason I don't make my quota, I will not be struck down by the lightning of New York's Socialite Gods, and I will remain guilt-free, because this is My Quest and these are My Rules.
- "Free" means no money is required to partake in the event. It does not mean "free with purchase," or "free with donation," or "free for members." It does not mean "free if I write favorably about the business/organization/subway busker." It means it is possible to show up, not open my wallet at all, and still enjoy the goings-on. That being said, if I feel inspired to purchase a G&T or a souvenir bobblehead, I certainly can. Note: "free for students," free for Canadians," "free for curly-haired patrons," and other such descriptions, do fall into the "free" category, because I fit those descriptions and therefore do not need to change anything about myself to enjoy the free-dom. To sum up: conditional free stuff is fine as long as I don't have to change anything or do anything special for it to be free!
- Because I'm a generally lazy sloth of a grad student, preference will be given to events within walking distance from my residence. After which, events will be considered which are a short subway stop away (ideally, Manhattan or maybe BK). Only in certain circumstances will I trek to Queens or The Bronx for a free event. (And only I get to decide what those circumstances are.) While not having to pay money to attend is definitely a draw, I have to also consider the payment of my time, and let's face it: sometimes, schlepping halfway across the city for a free event is so not worth it.
- Preference will also be given to events within My Schedule. My Schedule is known only to Me and has nothing to do with You.
- Other people -- friends, family, random Twitter friends, general friendly and non-evil strangers -- are welcome to join me on My Quest for Free-Dom. However, it is not their blog, nor their Quest, so I get to decide where we go and what we do. They are simply along for the ride. If at a future date I decide to allow Others to share this blog with me, that will change, of course (See Rule #1). But for now, these are My Rules.
- If there is no free event that seems remotely interesting that meets Rules 4 and 5, I may opt to look for a Broke-Ass Cheap event instead. For example, if the only free event nearby and convenient on a Sunday happens to be a lecture on The Economics of Ant Farms in Nebraska: Free Trade in Soil, then I may respectfully pass up such an event and opt instead for the $3 burlesque show down the road. Value for time and money will be more highly valued than freebies alone.
Oh, and of course, I will blog about my free experiences. D'uh! That's not going in the rules, because seriously -- why did you think I started this website, anyway?
