Today was the big day of the "O.A.T.S." Summit (don't ask, I won't tell). I had stayed up late again the previous night watching Discovery, wired with my usual pattern of insomnia and not sleeping until 2am. I awoke before my alarm went off, but I had the most difficult time yet getting up. I was just getting out of the shower at the very minute the three of us were supposed to meet up for breakfast (down to three of us because one left to return to California a day early). I tried calling one colleague who often leaves her cell phone behind, and lo & behold, she had left her cell phone behind. Set on alerting the two of my status, I called the other, but she explained that she was skipping breakfast. Moments before we ended the call, she thanked me for calling and... waking her up. Hmm. That certainly explained her decision to skip breakfast!
We ended up leaving hopelessly late, but made up some time on the road. We actually got to the conference hall around just 8 minutes behind schedule. We had planned on arriving early to get good seats (an estimated 250-300 people were invited), but when we got there, we peeked our heads in the doorway, looked one way, looked the other, and stood in silent confusion for a moment at the sight of about 15 people in a sea of empty chairs. The presentation computer wasn't even authenticated on the network yet! So much for needing to rush in to get good seats! More people would show up over the course of the morning, but the joke of the day was that there were 50 people present (tops) and 200+ on the phone.
The presentations started at around 9:50 and went far faster than planned, leaving plenty of break time to wait for speakers who were running behind schedule. In fact, every single presentation completed well ahead of schedule and the day was generously peppered with long breaks. My laptop battery died midday and for some reason it wouldn't charge, so I borrowed a fellow designer's machine to check my email from the floor. Bad move. A fire had broken out on my old project. A big one. I ended up missing most of one presentation while I reviewed draft change proposals and exchanged emails with staff back in California in real time. Sigh.
After the summit ended (around 4:30), we went back to building 1 to log out from the guest desktops and clean up the desks. On the way over, we crossed paths with another group from California and shared "bye for now's" and wishes for safe trips for all of us. I "quickly" checked my email one last time, exchanging a few more fire-related directives, before packing up and heading out.
We immediately went back to the hotel to drop off our laptops & such, then headed back out to water around town while we had a chance. I had written down the locations of a few shopping spots and my colleagues were a bit concerned about the fact that I didn't have any actual driving directions. I tried to assure them that I had figured out enough about the city by this time and could get anywhere on the list with the help of just my few Google point-to-point maps to & from the office, hotel, airport, and a few restaurants (printed back in California). They weren't convinced, but I managed to get them in the car anyhow. Amazing what a good bribe can do. Just kidding.
The first place we went was Iowa. Yes, Iowa. The state. It was barely a 10 minute drive down one street and one freeway, so we figured, what the hey? Over there we saw a couple quick sights, including the Harrah's riverboat & casino complex. Soon we were back in Nebraska, heading due West down the main surface street that goes straight the hearts of the towns that make up greater Omaha. We stopped at a mall for awhile & then continued on Westward in search of food. We ended up eating at P.F. Chang's -- three shrimp dishes served family-style, brown & white rice, and garlic noodles. Ah, it was good food, the least oily & creamy versions of each dish that I had ever partaken of.
Once our stomachs were full, like N2Deep once said, it was time to go "back to the hotel." That night, two inches of snow fell over the city, painting a fresh glittery sheen over its dulling winter blanket.
We ended up leaving hopelessly late, but made up some time on the road. We actually got to the conference hall around just 8 minutes behind schedule. We had planned on arriving early to get good seats (an estimated 250-300 people were invited), but when we got there, we peeked our heads in the doorway, looked one way, looked the other, and stood in silent confusion for a moment at the sight of about 15 people in a sea of empty chairs. The presentation computer wasn't even authenticated on the network yet! So much for needing to rush in to get good seats! More people would show up over the course of the morning, but the joke of the day was that there were 50 people present (tops) and 200+ on the phone.
The presentations started at around 9:50 and went far faster than planned, leaving plenty of break time to wait for speakers who were running behind schedule. In fact, every single presentation completed well ahead of schedule and the day was generously peppered with long breaks. My laptop battery died midday and for some reason it wouldn't charge, so I borrowed a fellow designer's machine to check my email from the floor. Bad move. A fire had broken out on my old project. A big one. I ended up missing most of one presentation while I reviewed draft change proposals and exchanged emails with staff back in California in real time. Sigh.
After the summit ended (around 4:30), we went back to building 1 to log out from the guest desktops and clean up the desks. On the way over, we crossed paths with another group from California and shared "bye for now's" and wishes for safe trips for all of us. I "quickly" checked my email one last time, exchanging a few more fire-related directives, before packing up and heading out.
We immediately went back to the hotel to drop off our laptops & such, then headed back out to water around town while we had a chance. I had written down the locations of a few shopping spots and my colleagues were a bit concerned about the fact that I didn't have any actual driving directions. I tried to assure them that I had figured out enough about the city by this time and could get anywhere on the list with the help of just my few Google point-to-point maps to & from the office, hotel, airport, and a few restaurants (printed back in California). They weren't convinced, but I managed to get them in the car anyhow. Amazing what a good bribe can do. Just kidding.
The first place we went was Iowa. Yes, Iowa. The state. It was barely a 10 minute drive down one street and one freeway, so we figured, what the hey? Over there we saw a couple quick sights, including the Harrah's riverboat & casino complex. Soon we were back in Nebraska, heading due West down the main surface street that goes straight the hearts of the towns that make up greater Omaha. We stopped at a mall for awhile & then continued on Westward in search of food. We ended up eating at P.F. Chang's -- three shrimp dishes served family-style, brown & white rice, and garlic noodles. Ah, it was good food, the least oily & creamy versions of each dish that I had ever partaken of.
Once our stomachs were full, like N2Deep once said, it was time to go "back to the hotel." That night, two inches of snow fell over the city, painting a fresh glittery sheen over its dulling winter blanket.
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