On Diagrams, Internet Connectivity, and the Impending Lack of Sleep

Have a little spare time on my hands tonight - so I just wanted to let you know the old girl is officially in hell. Well, not quite yet - but soon, real soon. Five days, to be exact. See, you know this little conference I plan that I've told ya'll a little about - well it's gonna be here. In five days. So right now my time is being consumed with room diagrams, banquet event orders, uncooperative IT professionals, ever changing attendees, and a budget that seems to be ever inflating. Aaaah, yes, I'm in the thick of it now. I'm freakin' a little cause I know that 4-hours of sleep a night is in store from Saturday to Wednesday. Having to be the emcee for 300+ people bright and early on Monday morning (after what's typically a heavy night of drinking - much like when you go on vacay, or to the lake or something, and you over do it right off the bat because you're so excited to see all the old friends, place, or whatever).

Having to be witty while still legally intoxicated blows. I know, I've done it now for the last two, ummm, maybe 4 years. They make me drink, mom. They tie me up against my will and they make me do it. Really. So I'm really psyching myself up to take it easy - get sleep - kick people out of my suite so that I can be semi-coherent and don't forget charming, and at the top of my game all by 7:00 a.m.. New venue this year and all. Better be on my best behavior. Crap. I'm not good at that.

Well in other good news - my Belgian will be here in a mere four days. I might have mentioned once or twice at my almost giddy like state at the thought of seeing my good, my good, my good friend. Sorry lost concentration. Dreaming. Oh, speaking of, did I mention that the pre-conference dreams have begun? Yep, now all I think about is all that needs to be done, crossing the "t's" and dotting the "i's." I found an error in the conference agenda today. It's at the printer - tough luck. Hope my boss doesn't catch it. Woops. Perspective: Not the end of the world.

Did you know that convention centers can charge $1,000 for tap water in a water cooler? Yep, they can. They do, and they charge you for everything else under the sun as well. Air? Yep, that too. Like I said, it's an ever inflating budget.

Aaah, but all for the love of it. I get to see lots of friends made over the last five years and usually get kudos for my efforts from those who are those. It's nice for that reason. My five year friends play and play and play until we're so exhausted we can't wait to crash and then they all go home and I usually cry. (Attributed to my weird issue with goodbyes). So much effort, so little time, so long until we see each other again. My friends leave and then there is just a whole lotta miles (and for some an ocean and a continent) between us. For those few days though, for as tiring as it is and for the mental drain it takes on me the week of and the weeks before - it's always worth it.

So I build it, and they come. And then they leave and the circle starts all over again. And I bitch and moan until it gets here, and sometimes I have people to look forward to, and we have a blast and we love each other for as long as we can and then we say ciao, arevederci, a bientot, au revoir, until we meet again...

ik kan wachten niet om u opnieuw te zien...

4-days and counting.