I Can See!

Definitely better than the glasses I was issued by the Army in basic training!

A couple of weeks prior to my last business trip I decided to do something that I hadn’t done in nearly five years (a couple of months before making Aliyah). I wasn’t having any issues with my eyes but my glasses had definitely see better days (I don’t think there was an original screw left in them). Besides, it was long overdue and I do have vision benefits through work so it was the right time to finally take care of this task. Additionally, as a diabetic, I am supposed to have my vision checked annually so it was even more urgent that I finally make the appointment.

Thankfully, I knew where the local Visionworks was located as we have shopped at many of the stores in the same complex so I booked an appointment (three weeks in advance). When I arrived at the store, there was still a rather long wait so I took advantage of the free time I had after completing the paperwork and pulled some frames off the racks. I had put together a basic list of requirements a few weeks prior as to what I was looking for which made the culling of the optic heard a lot easier. Knowing what my insurance covered also helped during this process but was by no means a deal breaker when considering the options. By the time I had filled a tray and had it put behind the counter, they were ready to proceed with the first of many tests.

With my exam nearly complete and having to wait fifteen minutes for my pupils to dilate, I was surprised to find that my vision had not changed much if at all from my last appointment five years ago. What that translates to is that my vision still stinks but I am not legally blind. So, with my vision further blurred by the nasty little eye drops, I squinted with every pair that I tried on and slowly began eliminating both the options for my everyday glasses and those that I would use as sun glasses… I had made the decision a few years ago to do away with the transitions lenses as they were more of a hindrance over the year than a help.

By the time they took me back for a final look (after the drops were in full effect) I had already made my decisions on the two pairs of glasses and had begun filling out the order. And while they were not ready for my business trip, as promised, I was able to pick them up soon after my return from Atlanta. I forgot how nice it is to have new glasses, ones with all the original parts, without chips or scratches, and with a completely updated prescription. And, of course, it is also nice to have two pairs that properly fit my face. Hopefully it isn’t another five years before I am able to do this again.

Sunday Search: Topic Of Conversation

This past week I spent a lot of time at business dinners where the topics of conversation varied pretty significantly from course to course and from meal to meal. However, there were a few subjects that came up regularly during those times around the table. The first two were, of course, the most obvious as business and the actual trade show we were attending were discussed at great length. Beyond that discourse, the primary topic that we talked about at length was genealogy.

Many of the people with whom I spent the first part of the week had at least a basic knowledge of their own family histories or were interested in pursuing that knowledge. Because of the neutral nature of the discourse, we went from moment to moment and from generation to generation of predominantly United States history with each subject and time period allowing us to learn a little more about each other while remaining appropriate for a business gathering. I guess you could say that this is one of the ancillary benefits to the work that I have done regarding my family history.

It was actually quite surprising the commonalities that many of us possessed in both geography and in the participation of our ancestors in particular events. There wasn’t a single statement that wasn’t followed up by either a story or a question. And this was going both ways as there were definitely some aspects of history of which my knowledge is limited or a local history of which I am completely unfamiliar. In the end, we all came away with a much broader sense of the reach and inter-connectivity that our histories have in relation to one another. And that was just the people that knew at least a little about their own ancestry.

For those who were still unfamiliar with their familial past, it was an eye opening experience that ignited a desire to know about their own families. Hopefully the basic outline that they were given is enough to keep that interest going and that they begin to fill in some of their own trees. After all, it would be great to learn a little bit about their families the next time that we are all together around the dinner table. Who knows, maybe we will find some stronger historical ties between our ancestors. And maybe they can use that new found knowledge, as many of us have, as a great topic of conversation during casual business meetings and, more importantly, with their own families.

TMI Tuesday: Where Have You Been Daddy?

This place was an interesting experience. 

Over the past few days I have been away on a business trip and my son was definitely not happy with the situation. Obviously, the explanation that I gave him before leaving on Sunday morning was insufficient and so he has been acting out since the moment I closed the door. Even when I called in the evening hours and spent about an hour on the phone, it didn’t seem to allay is uneasiness about daddy not being home. I guess you could call this the down side of having a son that is a daddy’s boy.

When my wife and I were planning out this trip we knew that my flight got in early enough that I would be able to take my time and still be able to pick him up from daycare later in the afternoon (just before his usual pickup time). So, after stopping by the house to drop off my travel bags and wash up, I turned around and made my way down the street. When I opened the door and said hi to my son he seemed to have a look on his face of disbelief which quickly dissipated as his scurried across the floor and tugged on my pant leg.

While I could tell that he was happy he was quiet throughout the short car ride home. However, when I opened the door to take him out of his seat, I saw the smile that always makes the day a little better. I guess he finally figured out that he wasn’t dreaming and that daddy was actually home. After a quick change and temperamental snack, we went into the playroom where he spend much of the afternoon staring at me and crawling over for hugs.

Once my wife got settled after unpacking a few bags from her car, we all went into the kitchen where I was finally able to spoil my son with a few small things that I picked up while in Austin (and yes I got my wife something too). Thankfully there was a toy store three blocks away from the hotel and a 20 minute gap in one of my days away. The stuffed animal was nice and he snuggled it a little bit but what really made him happy was the Austin t-shirt and hat combo that I found on clearance at the airport. However, even excitement in those items faded as he preferred to simply be held by his daddy, eat, and go to bed early. After all, he knew that daddy was home now and that he would see me in the morning.

Firearms Friday: FUBAR Laws (Chicago Edition)

This past week, everywhere I turned while walking the streets of Chicago I saw signs in the windows and on the doors stating that there were no firearms allowed. It was a rather disturbing sight as I felt a little uncomfortable knowing that the only people that would be carrying in those buildings are law enforcement and those who consciously decided to break the law. While I certainly have no problem with the former, it is the latter group that bothered me. After all, law abiding gun owners are not the problem facing this country, illegal firearms ownership is the issue and I seriously doubt that a sign would prevent them from walking through the door especially when they know that no one inside is armed.

Further, those residents in the state of Illinois have to deal with a myriad of other restrictions. Wikipedia actually does a pretty good job summarizing the hoops that law abiding gun owners must jump through both to purchase and to carry a firearm in the state (keep in mind that the city of Chicago is a whole different beast altogether):

To legally possess firearms or ammunition, Illinois residents must have a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card, which is issued by the Illinois State Police to any qualified applicant. Non-residents who may legally possess firearms in their home state are exempt from this requirement.

The state police issue permits for the concealed carry of handguns to qualified applicants age 21 or older who pass a 16-hour training course. However, any law enforcement agency can object to an individual being granted a permit "based upon a reasonable suspicion that the applicant is a danger to himself or herself or others, or a threat to public safety". Objections are considered by a Concealed Carry Licensing Review Board, which decides whether or not the permit will be issued, based on "a preponderance of the evidence". Permits issued by other states are not recognized. Open carry is prohibited in most areas. Without a concealed carry permit, a firearm must be unloaded and enclosed in a case when it is being transported.

There is a waiting period to take possession after purchasing a firearm — 72 hours for a handgun, or 24 hours for a rifle or shotgun. For private sales, the seller must verify the buyer's FOID card, and keep a record of the sale for at least 10 years. Lost or stolen guns must be reported to the police. Possession of automatic firearms, short-barreled shotguns, or suppressors is prohibited. Possession of short-barreled rifles is permitted only for those who have an ATF Curios and Relics license or are a member of a military reenactment group.

Illinois has state preemption only for certain areas of gun law, and some local governments have enacted ordinances that are more restrictive than those of the state.

It is no wonder why Chicago has such a low crime rate! Oh wait, that doesn’t quite add up now does it. Thankfully I am back in Pennsylvania where the laws remain reasonable (for the most part) and I don’t have to worry walking into many of the buildings that are around me. It is amazing what happens to the crime rate once you travel beyond the iron curtain of urban sprawl and the oppressive states that make up a shrinking portion of this country.

Back To The Office (Eventually)

While the worst part about traveling for business is being away from my family, running in a close second is the pile of work that needs to be done once I get back to the office. It really doesn’t matter if it is a day or a week, there is going to be a mountain of things that need to be taken care of once you walk into work. This is also true when taking time off (see the posts from last month about the birth of my son) but to a much lesser extent… I have been working all week but there are still things that I have yet to get done.

Of course, it didn’t help this morning that was working from home. We had rescheduled our son’s doctor appointment for later in the morning and I wanted to make sure that I was present for the checkup. We had originally scheduled the visit for 10:50. A few days ago it was bumped up to 10:40 which I wasn’t complaining about. So we arrived right on time (it helps that the office is only a couple blocks away) and we waited. This was followed by more waiting. And additional wait ensued after that until we were finally brought back to the examining room about 45 or 50 minutes after our scheduled appointment time.

Everything went well and our baby boy is growing as health but not happy after another shot and being stuck at the doctor’s office for over an hour. I should mention that throughout this whole morning, including the time in the waiting room, I was fielding calls from work and lodge trying to keep everyone calm and projects moving along as scheduled. As soon as we got home I had to immediately grab my work bag, turn around, and head to the office.

It was nice getting back on the road and at my desk for the rest of the day. That feeling lasted about as long as it took to get my computer back up and running and seeing all the emails updating to my account. I had seen the number of correspondences from my phone but now I took a closer look and saw that they all required my attention and were not just CC’s or updates that I can put off for a little while. A long afternoon followed a long morning but, thankfully, many of the things that I had been dreading seeing on my desk never showed up. I am still trying to catch up and probably will throughout the weekend but there was good progress made despite the chaos and delays of the day.  

Returning Home

This morning I woke up to the reassuring thought that tonight I would be home sleeping next to my wife and son. However, there was a long day ahead of me and a conference call that was about to start moments after I stumbled out of bed. During this postponed weekly call I couldn’t simply let the productive few morning moments pass me by so I used the time confined to my room to take care of a last blast of emails and packed my bag. With a few minutes to go I had everything ready and as soon as I hung up the phone I was out the door.

After returning the key cards to the front desk, I made my way across the street and walked through the Hilton on my way to the show shuttle. Before inspecting the line I swung through the gift shop in search of an item required for my return to the office tomorrow… a Chicago refrigerator magnet. It may seem odd but it had become tradition that each time we travel to a new place for work we pick up a magnet for the office fridge. We have put together quite the collection from across the country.

With the line for the shuttle painfully long which would have prevented me from making to the booth on time, I made the detour to the front of the building, hailed a cab, and was at the convention center with a little breathing room. Enough time to check my coat and bags and make my way to the booth before the first scheduled meeting of the day. I guess it is a good thing that I was busy this morning because it left me little time to think about getting back home to my family.

The morning flew by with a number of excellent conversations and introductions including an interesting discussion with a fellow brother that happened to be passing the booth. Immediately after lunch it was time to leave the floor and so I made my way, along with the CEO and his wife, back to the coat check and out to the sidewalk to catch the final cab of the trip. Thankfully the show was a success and the hard work that everyone put in paid off so the conversations during the 40 minute drive was of a great experience and looking forward to the show next year in Atlanta.

Everything went as smoothly as possible at the airport (unlike my departure on Sunday) and I found myself with a little extra time before the flight. With nothing else that needed to be done I found a little restaurant where I could sit down for a late lunch and called the office to give a little update and my wife to tell her how much I looked forward to getting back home. Before I knew it I was on the plane, propped up against the window, and fast asleep with my legs crumpled against my briefcase.

The flight landed on time with me waking up just before the wheels touched the ground. After a bit of a wait outside the baggage claim (for some reason we pulled into the international terminal) I was soon nested next to my son as my wife drove us away from the cluster of a pickup area. It was a great feeling to be home and finally reunited with my family. While I may have woken up in Chicago, I will be going to bed with my wife and son tonight. A perfect end to a business trip.

The Hardest Part

There have been many difficult moments during these early days of parenthood with the hardest of which happening today. Last night I couldn’t sleep as I didn’t want today to come. I knew that when I woke up the morning would go too fast and my departure would arrive too soon. This morning I woke up knowing that I would have to leave my family for a few days while I traveled to Chicago for work.

The plane was scheduled to depart just after lunch so we all piled in the car around 9:30 so that there wouldn’t be any timing issues. With my wife behind the wheel I sat beside my son staring at him as the mile markers streamed by the window. It was a ride that seemed to go on forever and one that ended way too soon.

While he usually sleeps whenever he is in the car, this time was different. He kept opening his eyes and looking at me as if to catch one last glimpse before daddy had to leave. Each time this happened was just as hard as the last.

When we arrived I moved slowly to prolong the moment. I kissed my son and kissed my wife. Then I watched them drive away as I made my way to the terminal doors.  

Even with the cluster at the counter when I found out US Airways and American Airlines aren’t talking anymore, the confusion at security where there were no signs directing which line to get in, and the debacle at the gate when seat assignments were handed out to all passengers, I still kept thinking about the looks from my son each time he woke up in the car. It is a look that persisted in my mind throughout the day. Even later in the night during the client meeting and after that sending time with a friend that I haven’t seen in over 3 years, I was still thinking about my wife and my son.

It is interesting to think about the changes that have occurred since the last time that I was on a business trip like this. Last year this whole thing was still new having only been at the company for 6 months, it was just my wife and me, and the whole business travel was something with which I was still unfamiliar. While by no means old hat, it is just a different experience this year. Same company, similar trip, a new son, and reconnecting with an old friend.

Things are different this year. It is going to be a great trip and an excellent event but I know my thoughts will remain with my family. Three nights until I can see my wife and son again. Until then, I have to work and enjoy the pictures that my wife will certainly be sending me. Those are the moments to look forward to each day.

Changing Things Around

I had both been looking forward to and dreading this past week for months because of the many long nights that were on my schedule. I knew that things would be different by this time of year with our son having arrived and while I wanted to get out and get back to my previous routine I was also dreading being away from our baby for so many nights in a row. This week was originally planned so that I would be at the lodge on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. At best I was expecting that I could miss Tuesday but that didn’t change the fact that I would be out late the other two nights.

This week just goes to show that sometimes you just have to trust the plan that has been laid out before us. With the first front moving in on Tuesday the first night of my week was quickly taken off the table. This was a change that I had contemplated previously so there wasn’t much of a difference on my end. On Wednesday night the schedule remained the same and I was at the lodge catching up with my brothers but, at this point, Thursday night, our state meeting night, was questionable at best. By the time I left for the lodge after work on Wednesday, the stated meeting had been postponed and my week opened up.

It was still hard to be away from my wife and son during the night but at least I was able to slowly get back into things rather than having multiple obligations taking me away from family throughout the week. However, knowing how much I missed them for those few extra hours out of the office makes me wonder how I am going to handle my annual business trip at the end of the month. I guess it is going to take some to get used to the idea and this new reality.

For now, I was only out late once this week and I will be out late once next week as well. Hopefully things will move as quickly as they are currently planned and that my son doesn’t wait up for me like he did on Wednesday. While I hate being away, even for a few extra hours at the end of the day, it is at least occasional and brings be back to a modified routine. It may not be perfectly measured at this point but I will continue measuring the different proportions and gauging where and when I need to remove some things from my schedule.

Extensive Meetings, Marathon Calls, And Early Mornings

It may be a bit crude but it fits and its funny.

In hind sight, the past few weeks have been a bit of a blur merging together into one continuous memory of a meeting. In addition to the usual daily duties and account work, a few of us would lock ourselves in the conference room and hash out, sometimes vigorously, a public relations plan for a new prospect. This was all stemming from my business day trip back in May.

For hours we would go back and forth starting with the high level view and basic outline. We would take a couple of days off to research and make our own suggestions (margin time as I like to call it) and finally we would come together for the detailed dive into what needs to be said, what needs to be reworded, and pull together what strategies would work best to achieve what the prospect thinks they want and what we know they should want. Fortunately, in this instance, there was a synchronicity to these objectives.

All told, we each spend approximately fifty hours in meeting over the past couple of months pulling all of these things together. This culminated in a conference call yesterday when we were finally able to present the results of our hard work. This is always a time of uncertainty but we present the plan with confidence and emphasize the process and experience that has brought us to our conclusions. However, you have to keep in mind, while this was a time consuming step it was only the first of many (second if you count the initial input).

While the prospect agreed with what we had presented, there were still a number of things discussed that we will have to incorporate and a few things that we will have to change. And, of course, every presentation has a speed bump here or there and this one certainly had a big one as the recent investors in the company have just now informed us of an open competition and that many other proposals have been received. With the only honest and realistic plan on the table I am confident in our future with this company but it still means that there is even more work that we are going to have to complete and more meetings that will keep us in the conference room for the next couple of weeks.

It looks like a few more long days at the office presenting me from arriving home before the summer dusk and probably at least one or two early morning conference calls like the one that was scheduled this morning for 7am. While I am undoubtedly biased, I know that we are the best firm for the business and I know that the long discussions and even longer hours will pay off in the end. But, for now, it is time to relax when I can, work when I am able, and sleep during those rare instances when the luxury of time is in my favor.

I Couldn’t Get The Timing Right Today

I begin this post as I have many others. It was way too early to be getting out of bed this morning but somehow, after about 4 hours of sleep, I managed to crawl out of bed and into the shower. While it may be a great time of day for some, five in the morning is not a good time of day for me. But, some work days begin earlier than others and today was definitely one of those days.

I was moving particularly slow this morning and quickly started running behind. About 20 minutes behind schedule, I got in passenger seat of my wife’s car, and we were off to the airport. We pulled up to the US Airways terminal with what I thought was plenty of time… that thought persisted until I got in line to go through security. 40 minutes and a security checkpoint change later and I was finally on my way to the gate. Normally I arrive at the gate in plenty of time to sit and relax before flying, this morning I didn’t even have time to hesitate, and I walk right onto the plane. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised with a front row, first class seat.

Surprisingly, given the fog, we took off on time. The next two hours comprised a large number of bumps, so I was told, and a lot of sleeping. Some people can work the entire flight, from gate to gate, like my boss sitting next to me. That is something that I have never been able to do. The best way for me to be productive is to get as much sleep as possible so that I can get work done later. By the time the plane touched down in Atlanta, we were running back on schedule. By the time the car service dropped us off at the client’s office, we were running ahead of schedule.

This is when the fun began. While the meeting was long, over six hours of constant discussion, it was a great back and forth both of information and opinion. This was a discovery and messaging meeting that is a fascinating thing to watch let alone participate in. By the time the information fire hose is turned off at the end of the day, you have all the information you need and a lot of ideas that you don’t. It is also a great opportunity to get to know the people at the company and find out a little bit about how they go about their work as well as a little about themselves which comes out is little drips throughout the day.

Before we had a real chance to breath, the day had passed and the car service was calling us wondering when we were coming down since they had been waiting outside for the past 45 minutes. Oops, time to wrap things up and head out the door. And just like that we were on our way back to the airport to catch a 7:50 plane back to Philadelphia. Even running behind and the notorious Atlanta traffic, we got to the airport with enough time to sit down for a quick bite to eat. With egg and cheese sandwiches and Pepsi (I know, I was shocked) in our stomachs from Der Waffle Haus, we walked over to the changed gate and got settled in our aisle seat in the middle of the plane.

Two and a half hours and some restless sleep later we were back in Philadelphia and waiting for transportation home. So, nearly 17 hours after my day started, I walked back into the apartment. Even though I was obviously dragging, I was wide awake and ready to get things going after an excellent day and meeting. However, my first business day trip (via an airport) is a little nuts when you think about it. Oh well, sometimes you have to do what you have to do and I prefer sleeping in my own bed and coming home to my wife. So, while hectic, it was a good day all around.

Wrong Tense

Our Atlanta airport adventure was one that was filled with some interesting characters. It all began during my slow crawl through security where, for a change of pace, the TSA officers repeatedly instructed us to keep our jackets, shoes, and belts on; keep electronics in our carryon bags, and only remove items from our pockets that would set off the metal detector (really that meant only removing cell phones, keys, and loose change. This was much easier than the usual process so I was ready to go in no time.

However, this wasn’t good enough for the woman in front of me who stubbornly refused to walk through the metal detector. First the excuse was that it was an invasion of her privacy. When that didn’t work she moved on to the ‘it causes cancer’ argument. When both of those failed to achieve her desired result, she mumbled countless complaints under her breath as she darted through the checkpoint like a cat caught in the rain. PITA’s like that shouldn’t fly.  

A little later during our time in airport limbo, having just been notified that our departure was delayed due to bad weather in the Philadelphia area, my colleague and I readjusted our luggage and hunkered down for an extended stay at the Atlanta airport. By this time, evening was beginning to creep over the horizon and everyone was eager to get on the plane and in the air. This was only exacerbated by the fact that we just witnessed the flight to Phoenix just complete the boarding and close the doors to the terminal. At least someone was going somewhere.

Needless to say the restlessness and slight boredom was slowly taking hold of the awaiting passengers. What we needed was a distraction. Something to occupy our minds until the decision to board was finally announced over the speakers. As if on cue, a flustered and disheveled woman walked quickly to the gate on the opposite end of the waiting room. We all knew where she was going but sometimes the greatest entertainment is in the reaction.

Someone missing there flight is nothing new but the uniqueness of the response is something that I have never witnessed firsthand before. You could tell by the mumbling, pacing, and anger that this was going to be good. With the situation building and the knocks on the gate door echoing across the terminal, we all shifted in our seats to get a better view as the drama unfolded. And you know what, unlike a lot of movies that clog the theaters, this performance didn’t disappoint.

As soon as we all turned, got ourselves comfortable, and began looking for the popcorn the woman slamming he fist on the door decided to change tactics. After a quick check out the window to make sure the plane was still at the gate, she returned to the desk near the door and instead of using her fist she decided to use her voice so she picked up the microphone and made an announcement over the load speakers… “US Airways personnel needed as Gate D23. A passenger is about to miss her flight!”

This ‘announcement’ was repeated, as if in an OCD loop, for about ten minutes. The one thing that kept running through my mind is that she might want to consider changing the tense in that statement because your butt isn’t getting on that plane. Her voice was a mix of both panic and pissed. You could tell that she desperately wanted to get on that plane but you could also sense that this wasn’t the first time she has found herself in this situation. Just when we thought the vain throbbing below her neck tattoo was about to burst, a woman opened the gate door and stepped behind the desk making sure that the door was closed securely behind her.

I give the US Airways employee credit because she managed to hold her ground while calming the incessant passenger. In what was an anticlimactic conclusion, the woman hovered above the computer screen while alternate arrangements were made. Before long, the matted haired woman stormed off and made her way to some other part of the terminal (either the new gate or the bar). And in a moment of perfect choreography, the announcement was made for passengers to begin boarding our flight home.

 

Last Call: Time To Head Home

After an exceedingly long night, I woke up an hour early to begin my last day in Atlanta. While the show seemed to be winding down a bit, the day was packed from end to end with meetings and potential meetings. With little sleep the past three nights I was at the point of nearly staggering to our morning breakfast meeting. But sometimes you just have to suck it up and make it seem like you just slept for ten hours and you are fully awake and rearing to go for a new day.

I made it to the restaurant in the hotel lobby right on schedule and immediately found a couple of people to reconnect with from Monday. While I am sure they are pleasant individuals anyway, the editors were very friendly and greeted me more like a long lost friend than simply a PR person who set up a meeting earlier in the week. This is the kind of meeting that really motivates me to go back to their publication with great stories. You can be sure that I will be talking with them again in the near future.

The meeting was, to say the least, productive and could potentially lead to many more trips down to the Atlanta area over the next year. Not sure how my wife will feel about this but it is a darn good business opportunity and I am glad that I was able to be a part of the initial conversation. After breakfast, my colleague and I headed back to our rooms, packed our bags, and dropped them off at the front desk so that we could pick them up later in the afternoon when we were finally ready to begin the journey back home.

We got back to the show floor just as the doors were being opened and it didn’t take long before we were pulled aside to speak with a few more reporters and analysts that decided to stop by this morning. This was the final push that put the event over the top and what finally allowed me to check this off as a success in my own mind. The total finally got into the double digits and met he expectations that have been constantly been running like a banner in Times Square in the forefront of my mind. Even though we were only on the floor for a little over two hours, it was well worth putting that extra effort in to the morning.

While all of this is happening, Classroom Day was in full swing as multiple groups made their way around the convention center speaking to those booths that decided to participate, including ours. When these high school students come around you can't help but wonder if years from now they will be at this very same show working for one of the companies. If that is the case, I hope that their stop at our booth played some small role in their life trajectory. Who knows, if could happen.

From the show room floor we made our way back to the hotel and into another meeting. This time we were meeting with an existing client that, while keeping us a little extra busy as of late, she has been a great person to work with and one that completely understands what we do (not everyone understands PR). Being able to meet the client does add another dimension of motivation when it comes to the daily grind that can sometime try to get the best of us. Knowing the person behind the projects makes you push a little harder and a little longer.   

After the lunch meeting we retrieved our bags, got in a cab, and returned to the chaos of the airport. We arrived a little earlier than we both prefer but it allowed us to take our time and not rush for the first time all week. After a slight delay that left my yawning in the US Airways waiting area, we boarded the small plane and took off knowing that the turbulence upon arrival was going to make this an interesting flight. Surprisingly, the landing in the rain was uneventful as my stomach decided to relax for once and allowed me to feel human as we disembarked from the cabin.

By the time we got to baggage claim my wife was already well on her way to pick me up and it wasn’t long before my colleague and I officially concluded our productive trip in high spirits and I was in the car on my way back to the apartment. Today I woke up in Georgia and went to bed back home in Pennsylvania. Tomorrow things will return to normal as my routine resumes with an early wake up and commute to the office. The difference being that now is the time to follow up on everything from this week rather than the past two weeks which has been focused on prep.

Weeks like this may be the most tiring part of my job but it is also part of what I love about what I do for a living. It is a time when I work hard without working. While I am sure there is a definition or at least a more concise way of expressing this sentiment but what really defines it is the experience which can’t really be conveyed accurately in a way that would be universally understood. It’s just one of those things that you know when you are in the middle of it.

Modex Day Two: I’m Beat!

Day one at Modex was a success and, while exhausted and walking slightly above a stumble, I was looking forward to day two at the show. Today was ‘stop by’ day when I was looking forward to meeting the media members who were not able to set up a specific time during the week but assured me that they would stop by at some point during the show. Actually, there was also a scheduled video interview in the early afternoon that consisted of preapproved questions and some uncomfortable makeup.

By the time we departed the booth in the early evening we had added three more media interviews to the six from yesterday. Having spoken to nine publications in the past two show days, we all made our way up to sublevel three to partake of unique cocktails and relaxing conversations. This, of course, extended our day well into the evening and we were all ready to head off as a team and enjoy what has been a, so far, successful event.

It should also be noted that the attendance at the show today was much greater than that of day one and the constant waves of people reverberated back and forth across the hall with many of them stopping at our booth to find out more about the company and the technology. It is actually commonplace for the first day to be the lead up and the event to peak over the second and third days but something else coming into play was the fact that it wasn’t raining when the doors opened at 10:00 am. It may have been cold this morning but it wasn’t wet.

Sitting around the dinner table, at a restaurant right near the hotel and show location, it was the first time since we arrived on Sunday that I began to relax. I wasn’t, and still am not, at the lean back stage but we passed the point today of all the work previously put in starting to pay off. The interviews were happening, the coverage was beginning to come to fruition, and the client seemed satisfied with our efforts. It was time to breathe just a little bit.

Maybe the best part of this all is that this is already at a point that it has set the new standard for us to surpass next year and we still have a half day to go tomorrow. While I don’t expect a lot more, it would be nice to check one or two more media members off my list. Tomorrow will really determine if I will be able to lean back on the flight or if I will be wondering what could have been done differently in order to get one or two more people in the booth. I wonder which one it will be.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Modex!

I woke up this morning in Atlanta, Georgia and the sun is nowhere to be found. Honestly, I didn’t realize that fact until I made it down to the lobby and walked into the restaurant to have some breakfast to begin the day. Not having an extensive track record with trade shows, I was quite nervous about the day and also eager to get things going. Of course, that might have been the lack of nicotine as well.

After a breakfast that was actually pretty tasty, I ran back up to the room to grab my badge for the event and made my way back down to the ground floor to try and ease my nerves. With freshly washed hands and a mint tingling my tongue, we gathered in the lobby and braced ourselves for the dash to the convention center next door through the bitter rain which seemed to plan its fall to coincide with the beginning of the show.

We were right on time in our decent below ground to the showroom floor and the closer we got, with each successive escalator, the crowd seemed to become denser and denser. The local weather combined with the natural events in other parts of the country delaying and cancelling flights, it was a shadow of the 25,000 expected to attend but it was still a healthy flow. Finally on the floor, we turned left and headed to the booth arriving just as the first of many scheduled interviews was to begin.

Without a wasted second, the introductions began as soon as my foot hit the booth carpet. That first interview set the tone for the rest of the day as everyone was on time, the conversations we all productive, and it left us with a great relationship that we look forward to building in the future. The sum it up, the media thus far have all been fantastic and I am looking forward to speaking with each and every one of them again in the near future.

With meetings booked throughout the day, from the 10:00 am open to the 5:00 pm close, the day was over before we knew it and we were all walking out of the convention center wonder where the day had gone. We all went back to our rooms to recover for an hour before reconvening across the street for some wings, burgers, and libations. The evening was filled with relaxing conversation and was a great opportunity to get to know everyone a little better.

I enjoy these times when I am able to learn a little bit more about those I work with each week. After two hours of entertaining conversations where we were able to find both differences and commonalities with one another, we finally called it a day. Time to go back to the room, get some work done, and try to sleep as much as possible. Day one done and things couldn’t have gone any better. The fact that we didn’t have to deal with Philly snow again was just a bonus.