Weekend Update

Ok, a quick update on my past few days. Went to ALA and it was good. Had lunch with my Mormon and he gifted me with an Olympic pin shaped like a bowl of green Jello. My Mormon rocks. Ran into James and Mitake on the exhibit floor. That was a pleasant surprise. Out of the thousands of people there, I never expected I would actually see folks I know who aren't in my company. That was a treat.

Cake concert was cool. I had to close my eyes, though, to pretend that John McCrea is hotter than he appeared to be on stage. John looked like he had rolled out of bed to walk on stage in the over-sized stained t-shirt and wrinkled khaki pants in which he slept all night. But the music was good and free and close to my hotel. It was perfect.

We ate at Po Folks because Bossman insisted. It was good, but not a very low-fat meal. But I worked off some of it at Dave and Buster's. Got Bossman to play Jurassic Park shooting game with me. It's the kind where you sit in that booth with the curtains. He jumped nearly out of his skin when this 8 year old boy walked up and grabbed his arm trying to climb into the booth. Suddenly the dinosaurs were getting much more realistic. He also agreed to play the 18 wheeler driving game with me. They claim it is a two person game. I steered and worked the pedals while Bossman shifted gears and honked the horn. We made quite a team.

Sunday teetered on the edge of a horrible mess. But I managed to pull it together and several of my co-workers bailed me out at various times. We were experiencing "technical difficulties" for some of my demo. That and I was having a bad hair day. But we celebrated the success of the meetings by going to the Marquis Steakhouse where I ate a Cajun Seared Cowboy Ribeye the size of my head. I asked that they leave off the cajun. Dan added, "oh, but she still wants the cowboy." I'm not sure what part of my ribeye was the cowboy part. Maybe the caramelized onions on the side?

Had coffee and dessert and my coffee was more like a tray from Beakman's World. I had my own coffee pot (those funky European kind), chocolate covered coffee beans, sugar crystals that looked like Draino or crack, and little tiny cinnamon sticks. My coffee setup was quite the centerpiece. Ooh, and sorbet that would make you would fall out of your chair. Needless to say, I'm not eating again until Thursday or so.

And the flight back was pleasant. First class, baby. We have a new printer in the office that was delivered yesterday and we will probably spend most of today playing with it. It is large and fast and very colorful.

DLand - Daddy's Little Girl

Daddy's having a hard time these days. His job is giving him the runaround and he is working to keep that job while not be completely trod upon. Easier said than done at times.I am, for all intents and purposes, a Daddy's Girl. We are very much alike in many ways (both good and bad qualities) and I can see so much of myself in him everytime we interact. One thing that has most impressed me with my father is his self-sacrificing nature. He has never denied anything in his power to his family or friends and even to many strangers. I have always found it to be one of his best qualities, despite the frustration it can cause him or the rest of the family at times. When my father lost his job back in 1994 my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a hard year for the whole family. I had just left for college and it was my first time out “on my own.” I can only imagine how my father felt that year. The mortality of his wife - the love of his life - and the absense of his little girl weighed heavily on him. Adding to that was the fact that he was without a job (or two or three) in almost 50 years. I became accutely aware of my father's vulnerability and weaknesses in addition to all his strengths. He was not as perfect as I had always imagined. He and I butted heads on several points during that year. I can remember a very painful conversation with him on the phone where I actually hung up on him in anger and frustration. Much like tugging on Superman's cape or spitting into the wind, one does not hang up on my father. Wow, that was a long night. Eventually we worked all of these differences out and he supported me in my decisions despite his reservations. I love him dearly for that. And that year for us really opened my eyes to his distinct personality and humanity. I am closer to my father now than ever before. And I see us only getting closer. We seem to be on the same “wavelength” in many ways, able to communicate in some unspoken language even at times. So I just wanted to tell you, Daddy, that I love you. I know we don't say stuff like that much in our family and we don't hug much or send cards and flowers. But we still show our love in other ways that count. And I cherish your love and support every day. I'll always be your little girl.

DLand - Proper Attire Required

I went to put my room service tray out in the hall last night and muttered “dammit” as the door hissed closed and clicked behind me. I was in a hockey jersey. I was locked out of my room in a hockey jersey. So I wandered down the hall to the elevators. I passed the concierge lounge with a sign stating “proper attire required - shirt and shoes.” I was half in compliance.As the doors to the elevator opened a man's computerized voice commanded “going down.” I thought, “gee, but we just met.” A short trip down to the lobby led me to the front desk. Standing in line behind librarians and businessmen waiting to check in, I felt a little strange. But attitude is everything, so I tried to look nonchalant as I curled my toes in the plush carpet. Front Desk Lady: “Can I help you, ma'am?” Me: “Yes, I'm GenieAlisa and I'm in room 4227. I've locked myself out of my room.” Lady: “Ok, ma'am, do you have any photo id?” Me: “Um, look at me. I don't have pants. No, I don't have any photo id.” Lady: (leaning over counter) “Ah, I see. Well, if you just tell me your address, I'll get you a new room key.” Several addresses later (old home address, new home address, corporate address, other corporate address, AH OF COURSE - Dan's home address - obvious), I was back in my room safe and sound. And I'm thankful I decided to get dressed this morning before hopping online to work, since the window washers just came rolling by my window. I waved.