And thus ends day 1 of Dr. Nerd's international adventure. 12 hours, 5 meetings, 4 clients, 1 potential client and hyper-exhaustion. Big bossman only took part in the middle 3 meetings, so I started 2.5 hours earlier and ended 3 hours later. He had a dinner so I was on for the evening (thankfully).
ECB emailed me to tell me she misses me and she hopes I'm having fun, which means she hopes I'm not having fun but she wants to screw with my head (I wish I hadn't asked for my blackberry to be reactivated). I'm normally not such a raging cynic (just a regular cynic - not raging though), but, but she seems determined to ruin any bit of fun I have, in between emails and calls telling me she hopes I can enjoy myself). As I was getting ready to leave Friday, running around the house like a nut job, the digital TV commercial that inspired the recent story from the ShitHead chronicles came on and I made the mistake of cracking a smile. ECB, playing Peggy Bundy to my defeated Al, sensed happiness and demanded to know what was behind the smile so she could ruin it.
My Blackberry data was working, but the phone was still not activated (or was, but had been turned back off). There was a hockey game I wanted to see on satellite in the hotel bar, so after my meetings and a quick nap, I freshened up and headed down. There happen to be 2 very prominent tech companies having events in the hotel this week, one of which I know quite well since they bought one of my formerly wonderful companies. What I didn't know, until I got to the bar, was that their marketing department on the West Coast is home to a gaggle of cute nerd-girls who descended upon the bar at the conclusion of their seminars or meetings or whatever it is they're here for. I was on my second pint, about halfway through the game, when the geeky goodness started filling the bar.
In my three trips to this particular country, I've been mistaken for a "local" no fewer than a dozen times. I should have known that 13 can never be a lucky number but couldn't resist trying to overcome traditional superstiton when one of the compu-cuties sat down next to me and expressed her surprise a the fact that people in this part of the world liked North American hockey. She laughed (with me, not at me) after my attempt to answer in a Canadian accent (complete with egregious use of the word "eh"). This was her first visit and she seemed interested in getting another American's take on the country. I was about midway through my fourth pint (she was on her second 'tini of some sort) and getting into the story about how I simultaneously respected and despised her company for stealing my favorite client when technology decided to screw me over again as the blackberry started buzzing. I didn't pay any attention to the emails of the blinking light indicating a new SMS, but when the phone started to ring, she suggested I answer it. Apparently ECB once again sensed that I was enjoying myself and called to say she missed me, she was worried that I hadn't answered my phone (I had emailed her earlier telling her that my phone wasn't working) and asking if I had time to talk. Through some sad combination of stupidity and compassion for the woman who had recently begun her quest to ruin my life, I told cute tech girl that I had to run up to my room for a few minutes to make a quick call. Got up to the room, answered the phone and listened to her talk to me about nothing important (unless you consider her walk in the park and trip to Target to be life-altering experiences). After this mind-numbing conversation, I was exhausted but determined to get back to the bar, numb my mind further via alcohol consumption and re-open the lines of communication with cute marketing girl. Shock of shocks, I got back down there and she was gone.
Technology giveth (attractive, geeky girls in town to learn about their companies' technology and bored / desperate enough to talk to me), and technology taketh away (attractive, geeky girls, thanks to my blackberry being turned back on just soon enough for an impeccably timed phone calls from ECB that I'm dumb enough to answer).
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