Danny, I know you're just yanking my chain... [:-spin] You've been there at the Houseboat Show in Louisville while I was setting up. And you've seen me filthy dirty, sweating like a pig, and trying to work in-between fork lifts driving through the booth and all of that fun stuff. Yup, it's a real joy! I've been working trade shows for Raritan since 1979. After 28 years of it, it isn't quite as much fun any more. At Annapolis, we're outdoors in a big tent where the temperature inside often gets up to 100 degrees. Not to mention the thunder storms and floods inside the tents. Just a bunch of grins and giggles!
Yes, we do get to travel - to the shows within driving distance, in a 12 year-old, beat-up pickup truck, pulling a box trailer behind it. Bouncing along at 55 mph like the Beverley Hillbillies - a real joy! We do get to hit a decent restaurant every now and then, but we hit a few bad ones, too. So that's a crap shoot. On the up side, we do get to meet a lot of really nice people - and that makes it worthwhile. But even at that, we meet a few real humdingers, too! No matter how you try to help them, nothing is good enough.
Little fun story, one year at Norwalk, CT we were outside in a tent, when I saw this guy approaching. I told my partner Mike, a newbie, that I was going to step out for a few minutes and grab a smoke. He said OK, and off I went. I stopped outside the tent and leaned against a support pole and watched. The guy came up to him and I could see his mouth going a mile a minute, arms were waving, and poor Mike just stood there and took it - like a real trooper. After he'd left, I came inside the tent, to the booth. Mike said, "Man, that last guy really gave me a hard time!" I said, "Yeah, I know." He answered back, "How did you know?" I said, "Because he came by for the last 3 years and gave me a hard time. When I saw him coming, I decided it would be a good time to go get a smoke."
Oh well, such is life. Actually this year, because I got hurt back in August, they're not making me set up and tear down - too strenuous - I'm not completely healed yet. I'm just working the actual show this time. And I get to use my own car to get there and back. Yay, life is good! Little perks here and there are really appreciated.
