A Few Things . . .

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October 03, 2003

About My Convention in Orlando

I spent a few days last month in Orlando attending a boring computer convention. The hotel/resort was incredible, the food was great, and the sessions were complete snoozers. Oh well, I guess you can't have it all. Here's what I noticed:

• The train/monorail thing that takes you from the terminal to baggage pickup at the Orlando airport is a poor substitute for actually getting to go to Disney World.
• I've never been in a hotel room with three phones before. There was a normal one on the desk, a cordless phone next to the bed, and another phone next to the toilet. I won't even go there. My bathroom also had a tub and a separate glass-enclosed shower...and pretty much everything was made out of marble.
• I think flying Southwest wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. This was my first time, but I have no complaints...and for the first time in my life, I had a direct flight to somewhere!
• Sometimes I wonder what conventions were like back in the day before cell phones and PDAs.
• Out of all the vendors/exhibitors there, only one followed the traditional formula for conventions (good-looking salespeople and giving out free stuff). And I'm one t-shirt, one hat, and two foam rockets richer for it.
• I only returned from the trip with 8 more pens than I left with.
• Whoever came up with the idea of turn-down service needs a serious dose of reality.
• After only a few days away, a guy can get kind of used to fresh towels and sheets every day, a hot all-you-can-eat breakfast, and chocolates on your pillow.
• The lobby of the hotel had several employees whose only apparent purpose was to say "good morning" or "hello" to every single person that walked by.
• I don't think there's anyone in the world easier to make fun of than self-absorbed executives with hands-free cell phones who think their office just can't get by without them for a few days.
• If I hear the phrase "application integration" one more time, I'm going to scream.
• I think I've finally hit the point in my life where a buffet does not mean I'm automatically going to eat until I'm sick. Maybe it's because it's the company's money and not mine, but I didn't feel obligated to pig out to make sure I got my money's worth...I don't think I really overate much the whole trip.
• I'm sorry, I don't care how thirsty I am, I will never pay $2 for the 10-oz Coke in the mini-bar. That is, of course, unless they add a "snacks" field on our expense report.
• My in-room safe was broken, and it only took 4 different people to finally fix it.
• I hope that next time I go to Orlando I'll actually get to go somewhere besides the airport and the hotel.