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“Take a look in the mirror and what do you see..
do you see it clearer or are you deceived in what you believe..”

Rag’n’Bone Man, “Human”

Being as late to the party as I have been about posting, I figure that this is a good time as any to say that this isn’t everything that’s occurred. There are many more stories that will hit the light of day.. some more than others, cause reasons. But I’ve got a bit to post, just figured I’d give something to work with to whet an appetite.

All the best to all the rest, I hear. Mind you, This is in no order at all.. this is just looking at the photos and making sense of the debauchery that entailed.

Stateline, NV – Snow Bowl

Snow is not common for my locality. Last time I remember such a deal was the great storm of 20 aught 6, where there were storms that rivaled Noah’s journey, and ended up with a hailstorm that blanketed the high points of UC Santa Cruz. Okay, maybe it’s not “snow” per se, but it’s the closest thing to frozen particles I’ve seen around these parts. Be that as it may, a shower of white powder was destined to hit the streets of Lake Tahoe, and all parts of Stateline. So it seemed like it was high time to introduce some kids that had ever seen snow before to get their inaugural visit.

It may have not been a winter wonderland filled with snow as far as the eyes can see, but that’s fine by me (since driving in snow and black ice is not the ideal condition). Snowballs were thrown (some might or might not have been nothing but ice.. whoops..), angels were made (both intentionally and inadvertently from being pelted with said frozen snowballs), and… drinks were had. Good news: I picked up a Hooter’s chick! Bad news:

 

It was a fun time for all, provided it was not a long amount of time spent there. I do, I say I do believe there should be an encore.

Oakland, CA – All Good On The Hardwood:

If we look back at this post years from now, then we can agree that the Golden State Warriors played in Oakland, CA. Since almost every team that plays in that region seems to be giving their 30-day notice (which is heartbreaking, because that city doesn’t deserve to have all of their teams leave.. but that’s politics that I dare not get into), it’s best to remember these as the good old days of when we were spoiled by some of the greatest players our generation all have the same jersey on. Well, seeing this team play is not cheap.. unless your school has an alumni night that can give you that lovely hookup (or at least make you feel like you got one). Me and three friends of mine who all went to UCSC were able to find this event. We’re thinking, “okay, dope, networking event, catch up with folks who attended when we did, recreate some stories, that’s what’s up”.

 

Orlando/Miami, FL – Grainger Show MMXVII:

So, as much work as I put in for the company that I’ve been a part of for the last year and a half, I can say that while it has been a wild ride, it does have its benefits that make it worth it. We have our annual Grainger Show that entails over 600 vendors, thousands of sellers, thousands of customers, and a plethora of ways that we can help our customers thrive in their business. I know I sound like a walking billboard for this thing, but seeing this through a second time definitely helped me manage this craziness.

It was more of this sort:

More like 13,000 when you count customers, sellers, vendors, staff, and keynotes. It’s always a fun time to go to Orlando. It is some WORK, though.. especially if you’re trying to account for the time zone change (never mind the Daylight Savings change added onto it.. #rude) and you’re not a morning person. Welp, that’s some sort of too bad there. Hate movement? Too bad, cause there’s a lot of that going on. The Orlando Convention Center is gargantuan. It’s easy to walk about 10 miles/day in that beast of a thing. But with so many vendors and people, it fit us quite nicely. Was even able to get some PokéStops in, and some Pokémon I don’t normally get in the West. Yeah, I’m still playing. And yeah, it’s still #teamvalor all day err day. Too bad there’s no GPS connectivity in the main showroom area. Pretty sure I missed out on about 5 eggs. But my customer had fun, and learned a lot about what we can do for his company. I learned a whole hell of a lot myself, as I normally do every time that I go to these shows. Each one of these shows is a chance for me to bring back some information to my folks who couldn’t make the trip to Florida. Here’s hoping I can bring more clients with me out here next go-around. Also, there is the non-walk all day part, which involves times at Orlando locations such as Universal Studios Citywalk:

When we’re not walking a crazy amount of miles (or km, if you’re trying to hatch eggs) in convention centers, we’re networking with co-workers we see but once a year. We rekindle conversations with old friends, make memories with new ones, and appreciate the fact that we have the opportunity to do so.. SO DON’T GET FIR— I mean, make sure you make it to the next one. We meet locals who frequent the area often, we get advice on what to do when we’re in town, and we mingle until the wee hours of the morning.. knowing full well we have to wake up two and a half hours later to be full of energy and vibrant for sessions, trainings and not being an outright zombie while the sun’s up.

Here’s to Florida, and (God willing) Grainger Show MMXVIII.

There’s plenty more, just give me a bit, otay? For now, #overandout