wow, has it really been almost two weeks? work, a conference, and baseball have kept me MIA long enough, right?
so at least once a year, i can talk my bosses into sending me out and about to get some training on the software i use everyday—to keep current, to learn from the people that develop it and the tech gurus that teach it—this year i chose a 3-day conference in san francisco, with a couple of extra days thrown in.
as usual, time leading up to being out of the office is crazy busy in the office trying to not leave jobs hanging or to be handed off unnecessarily. then the way to early trip to the airport, the kiss goodbye, then waiting for the plane.
i love san francisco. but it kinda sorta sucks when you're on your own. my room wasn't ready when i got there before 10am, so had to check my bag and kill several hours. walked around the westfield mall over on market by the end of the cable car line. never really knew it was as big as it is. even had a movie theatre inside, and that's where i blew a couple more hours watching whatever it was that was starting at the time. meh.
you know how it is when you go out of town, where there are moments that stick in your head, pictures frozen in place. here are few from several rides on the streetcars: an old chevy; a long line of low-riders—a club i assume—waiting at the stop light on third street; two "men," one wearing 6-inch clear acrylic stilettos running down the sidewalk, and the german tourists on the other seat obviously commenting to each other about them; the clearest sunset, sky glowing reds and yellows over the golden gate. ya, didn't have my camera with me for any of these, so they are just taking up space in my head.
and the conference, it was very good. hard to find me one that makes me feel challenged. and depending on which seminar i sat in, i either learned a lot or learned a lot and felt like an idiot. anyway, my head hurt from all the info by the end of the three days.
and here, i'd like to thank all the guys that have taken time to chat with me the last couple of years at the car shows. i've always been such a wallflower, hoping to fade into the background, please don't call on me for an answer in class...my original social ineptness has been greatly improved by your conversations and storytelling. it really helped me during the conference, and where i'd usually try and avoid the set-up socializing events and networking sessions, instead, i went to the meetings, and sat at the dinner table. still awkward, but i did manage to ask and answer some questions to the other attendees.
they even had made available free printing of business cards from the same place i order my own sets, so i had more of them printed up, and had some to trade with the other people. other people mostly had standard business cards, or had missed the deadline to order the free ones and had none. so mine, with the cars on them, helped to break the ice and start the conversation about my hobby.
even better, at one particular lunch break, i found someone who reminded me of myself at an earlier age: hardly acknowledged that she had company, didn't say a word, avoided eye contact, ate quickly, and got away as soon as she was finished. i've come a long way, but i'm still going to be a lifelong introvert.
also, my son's baseball season is winding down. now just three more games and he may be on his way to law school. unless he gets drafted at the beginning of june...waiting is the hardest part.
it was all good. but i have missed my cars. and when i got home, my better half had decided to build a new monster computer, and i do mean monster. the thing is big enough to fit small children inside, or maybe park a mini cooper. well, maybe not that big. anyway, he'd had to borrow my computer to download software, and then the internet connection was whacked...so couldn't post if i wanted to for a couple of days. time has been very limited.
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well, here's to getting back to my old routine, hitting up more shows, and meeting more people.
this one is from cinco de mayo in riverside, at the show and go. i'd seen it driving around the circuit. and then it was gone. i wandered about the side streets taking lots of pictures, passing others by (close your hood!), and discovered it parked way out in a side parking lot over by the courthouse, or was it a civic plaza? someone asked if it was mine...no, but wouldn't it be nice...why do people ask if a car is yours just because you use a tripod to shoot the picture? anyway, no owner around, so helped myself to shooting it. cute little matching trailer, isn't it? not quite sure what year it is, but it was so shiny.
