2:42 p.m. - 2006-03-07
an interesting day
So today, I went to this non-profit conference. It was actually really cool. They are usng this technology where every person (in this case there were approx 1000 people in attendance) has this hand held device and in conjunction with powerpoint, you "vote" on different questions/issues and in seconds, the screen shows the percentages. For example, they asked what race people considered themselves, then in 5 seconds it shows a pie chart or bar graph show the group was 80% caucasian, 11% black, 2% asian, etc.
It was a good conference with lots of interesting people and I was surprised and happy to discover that I actually knew a lot of people. When I first moved back here and I went to stuff like this, I would either just nervously sip coffee and hope I didn't look too pathetic, or I'd go up to strangers and introduce myself and have really awkward conversations. It's So Much Better to go and be like "Oh, hey Nancy, great to see you...how's that initiative you're working on...oh hang on a sec....Joe, Hi! Now, you simply MUST meet Nancy, she is working on..." It really felt good to actually see this networking stuff pay off. I am so much more in my element when I know people. Sigh (of deep social satisfaction.)
Now getting to this event was another story. I took the liberty of deciding to skip the first session. I know, I coudl have benefitted, but I was starting to get eye twitches thinking about getting into downtown during rush hour, finding parking, having correct change, or at least cash which would require a stop (at 7:30am) at the ATM, plus tonight I have a meeting at my new job and then Kevin and I are going to the Penguins game. Today was su[pposed to me my day OFF between my old job and my new job. I guess technically today I am unemployed. :) So anyway, I went to the conference about one hour late. And, all of the parking was taken up. I had to park (and I am not exaggerrating because I used my tripometer on the way home to measure) 3/4 of a mile away. Which is fine if you're EXERCISING and not wearing HEELS and CARRYING stuff. I decided to park in the back row of this far away parking lot. For you non-Pittsburghers, it's like this...the convention center is across a road from a long row of very large parking lots. (For you Burgh folk, I was well into the strip district, like further from the Convention Center than Touch Nightclub...I know you know where I mean, yes that's the one where the girls wear lingerie and dance on the bar....don't pretend you don't know...)The end of the convention center where you go in is like directly across from the back row of the parking lots. Now you COULD walk all the way up to the front row and then walk on the sidewalk out in the open, toward the convention center and then back down the side walk but that would have been like another half mile and I was already late.
So across the parking lots I went. I had to go over a few of those cement parking barricades that are about waist high, which was not a huge problem but probably looked a little silly. I had to hop over a slightly large wall-type ting to cross the street, and make my way down a steep gravel embankment. At this point, I thought...now when was "hiking" mentioned on the agenda? I made it inside the building eventually, after encountering and then by-passing a set of "automatic" doors that I approached, paused in front of, waved my hand in front of, stepped back and re-approached and eventually pushed on, which never opened. The way back after I left the conference, was slightly more interesting, when the following happened: I misjudged where I should cross the street. There is this bend in the road, at the corner of the building, which cars come around very fast. the other option is to walk up about a block, cross at the light, twice, because there is a weird intersection and then have to walk all the way back down, to the corner again, but this time on the other side of the street, to then cross through the parking lots again. Of course, being everimpatient, I opted to cross at the dangerous bend. Except that I began to corss and realized I was crossing toward nthing but a cement wall. I angled my path so my trajectory would place me at the place where the sidewalk begins on teh other side, but now cars had started coming in both directions, because I'd originally only thought I needed enough "space" between them to dart across the street. Now, I had only one option, to scuttle along this "median" that was about 9 inches wide, and higher in the middle and angled down like a house's roof. So now I'm moving quickly, cars zooming on either side of me, bow-legged trying to stay on this median thing, but keep moving up the street toward the place where the sidewalk actually exists. I can only imagine what people in their cars were thinking...this woman in business casual and nice shoes holding a bag and a purse and a coffee and a notebook, blancing in the middle of a busy street, hair and coat blowing in the wind...there was finally a break in the traffic and I hurried across and scrambled up the embankment. Only then did I notice that I had buttoned my coat incorrectly. I have on occasion, buttoned a cardigan incorrectly, but a COAT? How did I not notice this? There are only like four buttons on the coat...a whole button off is pretty serious. The right side of my collar and lapel was up near my ear/chin area and the other was down near my collar bone/boob area. I must have looked like a mental hospital escapee. (No offense to mental patients...most of them can probably button their coats better than I can.)
Now, try re-buttoning your coat with your hands full. I set everything down and two flyers immediately blow out of the bag and skitter and swoop FAR way. I attempt to use the coffee mug as a paper weight and it tips over; the bit of remaining coffee spills out because I am standing on uneven gravel.
At this point, I should have headed for the nearest bar, ordered 3 shots of whiskey and called a cab. But I pressed on and made it home without incident. Now I have to go in to my new job for an evening meeting and then coordinate with Kevin so we can go to the Penguin game which involves parking, riding public transportation, walking through the city, crowds of people, coats and potentially spillable beverages. Should be a great night.
