Conference Post for Thursday

The drayage company was mostly done setting up the exhibit hall(hotel’s spare garage). I was asked to report to the hall at 7 am. My boss is the kind of man that redefines punctuality. By being at least half an hour late to everything. I woke up at 630 and couldn’t figure out what to do for breakfast. I ended up choosing the restaurant again and found, to my extreme delight, that they had a fantastic breakfast buffet. I could have stayed there all morning. I was a little hung over from the drinks last night that I neglected to mention. I started out with a plate full of chopped melons and fresh strawberries. I then scouted out and stalked my next victims.

I started at the wrong end of the bar, but things worked out. Mostly. I served myself two spoons of scrambled eggs, two spoons of potatoes blended with onions and spiced quite well, two strips of bacon, two sausages, two mini-waffels and two sections of French toast. I ate this mound of food in less than 7 minutes and made it to the exhibit hall at ten minutes after seven. $20.35 including tip, paid by the office.

I then spent the rest of the day setting up two booths and being asked to print out forty hours worth of crap in three. As I was trying to finish all this crap that my boss invented at the last minute. The ideas he had weren't bad, just too late for me to finish or even start. Like 'Hey, Genius Boy! Create and print 500 copies of some shit that I haven't even decided how to use! And you have 3 minutes! GO!' My response took the form of a question like, 'how the fuck do you expect me to handle this crap and setup the booths at the same time?' and 'Why the fuck didn't you bring this up when I asked you for it two weeks ago?'. I ended all of these insane conversations with the statement, 'I must finish my previously assigned task of assempbling the booths. When I spoke to you two days ago, you said my sole responsibility would be handling book sales. So, tata!'

My boss became totally stressed but my ass is whisper clean. I did exactly like he requested in several public meetings. If he brings this shit up, I will be completely blameless.

Lunch was a pretty awful boxed lunch. Only awful in comparison to the fabulous beef tenderloin with creamed spinach, cherry tomatoes and mini squash. I also had an herb and seasonal vegetable salad. To wash it all down, I had a Maker's Mark and ginger ale because I like it that way. $65.17 on the boss' tab.

I took a shower and schlepped down to the hotel bar to meet the returning staff from last year. NY Cheesecake, a triple shot of Myer's dark rum, a Belvedere martini and a lemon drop martini came to $45.20 on the boss' tab.