Amplification

Sometimes I think the more difficult a presenter is only amplifies the problems we will face that week. In a typical week, there's at least one day where the room is set up all wonky or where the sound system is total crap, but when you meet someone who has more than their 3 allotted suitcases, you know it's going to be even worse than normal.

First off, it's not impossible to pack light, in fact almost all of the crap I see my presenters set out in the morning is completely worthless. This week I have a presenter who has her own (albeit miniature, it's designed for backpackers) guitar with her... and she uses it MAYBE twice during the day, for less than 5 minutes at a time. The guitar case, along with her three suitcases and a backpack definitely puts her over the flying carry-on limit. All for 10 minutes of showing off that she can play simple chords. Not necessary at all, and all that crap only means we'll have a harder time packing up the car and setting up at the start of the day. You're starting off at a disadvantage already.

Second, what's with needing a ridiculous amount of complicated set up? If you are so particular that you request your tables in a specific pattern on a diagram, then complain that you have to move them into a different pattern every morning, which the set up people would have to be telepathic to figure out, you're setting yourself up to spend way too much time moving tables. This goes along with having too much stuff--less stuff requires less display space. Plus, stop being so anal and be a little flexible, it'll save you oodles of time and make everyone happier.

Last, what's with the attitude? I'm no "The Secret" follower, but really, I always hit unavoidable traffic, have completely absent hotel staff, or have a speaker blow up when I'm with the more anxious presenters. Maybe I just don't notice the bad stuff when I'm with people who aren't expecting everything to go wrong, or who react with calm efficiency when a wrench does get thrown in the works. Calm down and let things simply happen... it'll make your ulcer fade a bit and make my day (and yours!) so much better.

This week, as with last week, I've got a presenter with too much stuff, too much anxiety, and too little flexibility. Both are fun, wonderful people, but the sheer amount of stress they hold (and pass along to me) is ubsurd. This week I'm having microphone problems, which is bad enough as it is, but with someone who is so laden with baggage it's ten times worse. Hopefully the problem will be solved soon via a new microphone, but until then, I'm just keeping on keeping on. If I stay calm and content it balances things a bit.

Stupid Stupid

...I'd like to blog about random things this afternoon, mainly the fact that I feel very little attachment to doing a good job this week, but I can't because my presenter requires my computer to be able to play the sound part of some of the videos she HAS to play for laughs in her presentations. See, her sound card broke and my Mac can't hook up without an adapter cable that I don't have/carry because their computer problems are not supposed to be my responsibility.

At some point earlier this week, I should have said, "Really, just skip the videos," but for some reason I'm being too nice again, and in order to not rent a $500 laptop for 4 LAME videos, I'm offering this solution. I should have saved my placating for next week's hyper-insane presenter. After all, I got another "But really, she's an amazing person..." voicemail the other day, a SURE sign next week will suck.

Yay for good friends in Tennessee later tonight!

Penny For Your Thoughts

An old Starbucks card gift sleeve makes a nice iPod earbud cosy:

Busy Busy Busy Bee

So I've been definitely feeling less than exciting lately, at least as far as this blog goes. I've gone to Niagara Falls, hung out with great folks (both co-workers and old friends), and visited NYC for a night of crazy fun all since whenever I last posted. I've completed knitting my first pair of socks, finally finished reading another "classic" I'd never been assigned, and this week am in the process of picking up states 35-38. All this while working 11/12 days and experiencing some fun airplane delays and border-crossing dramas. Luckily, I'm fine, everything is still rolling smoothly, and I'm still luckier than most when it comes to travel. I think it really comes down to the fact that sometimes I stretch myself too thin.

How many hobbies do I have? How many projects am I working on while planning fun jaunts around various towns? How many friends am I trying to keep up with via texting, facebook, email, IM, and scarce phone conversations? How come I'm still confused why I'm tired?

Penny for Your Thoughts

You only get a cent:

Why the F*@& is it so cheap to fly to Seattle all of a sudden?!?!

I hate my job/i love my job

I hate my job when... flying from Chicago on Friday and then to Norfolk on Monday is $200 more expensive with New Orleans in the middle than with Seattle in the middle.

I love my job when... I can spend a chunk of my morning chilling at panera wiring blog posts and scribbling journal entries.

A Food Journey

So much of the time I have been relegated to eating only the worst foods--hotel cuisine, airport cuisine and the American chains preferred by many of the presenters I travel with. So when I get someone who eats adventurously along with me, or find myself with someone who will let me leave for the majority of the day, I end up becoming the foodie-on-the-road that I want to be. Here's a brief chronicle of some of the tasty things I've enjoyed over the last couple weeks:

State College, PA

I found myself with a presenter who was willing to go out to Indian with me, even though she'd never had it before! It was a decent place, although it's chai did not reach the "bottomless" qualities of Ceadar's and Taste of India. College towns are always some of the best places to find decent food, because they've got cheap, ethnic, and independent shops along with the safety-blanket chain stores like Subway and Panera. The next day at lunch time, I wandered into a place called The Green Bowl, and OH DEAR GOD it was an all-you-can-eat, make-your-own stirfry bar. Like mongolian gril but better... more sauces, better meat (shrimp!), brown rice, and oh so tasty everything. I had two bowls, one of which included tofu, and was completely satisfied.

Baltimore, MD and Richmond, VA

I ran into some other PM's in these two towns immediately after State College, and was gaurenteed some decent eating. KN and I went over to Wegman's grocery store for lunch, gorging ourselves on amazing things and learning that taking photos in a grocery store is evidently strictly forbidden. We shared a lovely chocolate cake, and I had some amazing soup and satisfied my constant olive cravings.

That night we drove to Richmond where we met up with another PM, WW and his presenter. Somehow I had managed to get all 6 of us to agree to going out to an ethiopian restaurant that my previous week's presenter had turned down. Nile Ethiopian was great to us, giving us some extra food on top of what we ordered so that we could taste lots of different options. I know it looks like dog food, but it was soooooo good. Aside from the weird coked-out employee that showed up and tried to join us, it was a fun night!

Virginia Beach, VA and Raleigh, NC

About the only thing I hadn't had was seafood, so over the last two days I've filled that craving. In Virginia Beach, at a restaurant overlooking the moonlit beach--Waterman's, I had scallops, crab and shrimp sauteed in butter and full of YUM. The hush puppies weren't too shabby either. Then last night I went to a place I'd been before, Fishmonger's Oyster Bar, in Raleigh to score some more southern-style seafood. I captured this meal about halfway through, but damn if those shrimps (and fried green tomatoes) weren't mighty fine!

Tonight I will surely have to resort to airport or hotel food since I'm getting in late, but tomorrow I might be able to go down the road to Taj for some good Birmingham Indian food.

I'm definitely not the same size I was, and I keep trying to run or walk to keep some of the restaurant calories off. But the weight seems to be going to all the right places, so I'll continue to relish local food as long as I can.