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Trade Show Day 2: Long Day Done
Mar. 9th, 2025 02:41 pmPasadena Trade Show Travelog #8
At the hotel - Sat, 8 Mar 2025, 8pm
Today was the long day at the trade show. The exhibits floor was open 10a-6p. That meant my colleagues and I were "on" for 8 hours. Coming off waking up at dumb o'clock this morning— dumb but not stupid; stupid o'clock was the day before— I figured I'd be tired by the end of it. And I was. But at least I was just tired, not totally trashed.
It was a good day on the show floor. We finished with 205 badge scans, 120 of them from today. And I enjoyed spending a few hours dressed as Jenkins the Butler. It was, as always, a good draw for conversations in our booth, plus just plain— well, as plain as possible when I'm wearing a tuxedo— fun.
I finished up the last few hours at the show back in Clark Kent disguise. I still had the mustache, though. ("Cuz it's real.) It cracked me up how many people excitedly told me, "Some guy was dressed up as Jenkins earlier, did you see him?!" My colleagues were amazed, too. We discussed how we always thought it was silly, like straining the bounds of disbelief, that Superman changes out of his Underoos and puts on a pair of glasses, and people are like, "OMG, mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, did you see where Superman went?" Now we know this really happens. 😳🤣😎
After the show Shawn (one of my colleagues at the booth) and I joined the team from the Jenkins booth and one of their spouses to go out for dinner. Shawn and I were feeling our oats from those 205 badge scans, so we half jokingly pushed for going to an expensive steak restaurant. With a very budget conscious manager from other booth signing the bill, though, we ended up at a much more modestly priced Japanese ramen shop. Dinner was good, and also ended early— which was also good. All of us were tired from a long day.
I got back to my room just before 8pm. Like I said, dinner finished early. We had one drink apiece, instead of the 3 or more that typify a business dinner.
I gave serious thought to catching up on those other 2 drinks on my own back here at the hotel. I even have a voucher for 2 free drinks in the hotel bar, a gift for my Marriott Lifetime Titanium elite status. It feels like sacrilege not to use it, but that's exactly what I'm going to do: not use it. I'm not 30 anymore. "Have 2 free drinks on us" is something I'm okaying passing up when I'm tired after a long day and I could just stay in my room, stretched out across the bed, instead. I mean, if there was a free drink in my room, I'd drink it. I just don't feel like going back downstairs for it.
Plus, getting to bed early tonight seems like a good plan. Tonight's the clock change for Daylight Saving Time. We lose an hour of sleep. Though with my body playing stupid get-up-early games recently, the time change means I'll probably wake up at 6:30 instead of 5:30. Thus I'll be happy getting to bed by 9:30 again tonight.
At the hotel - Sat, 8 Mar 2025, 8pm
Today was the long day at the trade show. The exhibits floor was open 10a-6p. That meant my colleagues and I were "on" for 8 hours. Coming off waking up at dumb o'clock this morning— dumb but not stupid; stupid o'clock was the day before— I figured I'd be tired by the end of it. And I was. But at least I was just tired, not totally trashed.
It was a good day on the show floor. We finished with 205 badge scans, 120 of them from today. And I enjoyed spending a few hours dressed as Jenkins the Butler. It was, as always, a good draw for conversations in our booth, plus just plain— well, as plain as possible when I'm wearing a tuxedo— fun.
I finished up the last few hours at the show back in Clark Kent disguise. I still had the mustache, though. ("Cuz it's real.) It cracked me up how many people excitedly told me, "Some guy was dressed up as Jenkins earlier, did you see him?!" My colleagues were amazed, too. We discussed how we always thought it was silly, like straining the bounds of disbelief, that Superman changes out of his Underoos and puts on a pair of glasses, and people are like, "OMG, mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, did you see where Superman went?" Now we know this really happens. 😳🤣😎
After the show Shawn (one of my colleagues at the booth) and I joined the team from the Jenkins booth and one of their spouses to go out for dinner. Shawn and I were feeling our oats from those 205 badge scans, so we half jokingly pushed for going to an expensive steak restaurant. With a very budget conscious manager from other booth signing the bill, though, we ended up at a much more modestly priced Japanese ramen shop. Dinner was good, and also ended early— which was also good. All of us were tired from a long day.
I got back to my room just before 8pm. Like I said, dinner finished early. We had one drink apiece, instead of the 3 or more that typify a business dinner.
I gave serious thought to catching up on those other 2 drinks on my own back here at the hotel. I even have a voucher for 2 free drinks in the hotel bar, a gift for my Marriott Lifetime Titanium elite status. It feels like sacrilege not to use it, but that's exactly what I'm going to do: not use it. I'm not 30 anymore. "Have 2 free drinks on us" is something I'm okaying passing up when I'm tired after a long day and I could just stay in my room, stretched out across the bed, instead. I mean, if there was a free drink in my room, I'd drink it. I just don't feel like going back downstairs for it.
Plus, getting to bed early tonight seems like a good plan. Tonight's the clock change for Daylight Saving Time. We lose an hour of sleep. Though with my body playing stupid get-up-early games recently, the time change means I'll probably wake up at 6:30 instead of 5:30. Thus I'll be happy getting to bed by 9:30 again tonight.
