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Wednesday May 16, 2001
"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it." Geroge Moore
florida, sans smoke
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no smoking These conferences aren't fun. So it goes. The conference had the 'soft' keynote today. It was the 'I climbed Everest and almost died and did get maimed and now I make my living off that mistake.' Which is OK, but hardly necessary to my work and this is work. So I stay in my room and work, drinking in-room coffee. But after that it's technical session upon technical session, spying on the competition, and then receptions. On my way to the first I smell smoke. Is somebody smoking on the non-smoking floor? No, the smell is everywhere. I decide to stop and use a house phone to ask: is the hotel on fire? Actually, I just say I smell smoke on my floor. "Yes," says the operator who answers, "there is a brush fire and it's far away but the wind is blowing the smoke." My room seems free of it, though. At the first, I prey on the DBMS developers prying info from them. But...a customer corners me for info on a requirement. Then our company has a reception. I decide to skip the first hour, research the customer's question and then go back. When I go back for drinks and snacks...I never get inside the party. The marketing types have lined up the customers with their questions. I stand inches from the door with snacks and drinks for a couple of hours, fielding technical issues. Somebody kindly gives me a beer. It's very, very tiring. I'm still having trouble sleeping. I didn't get enough to eat to make up for no dinner. (It would have helped if marketing had let me get near the damn snacks.) I eat chips and a Jack Daniels from the mini-bar. Even Jack doesn't help me sleep.
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