When you go to a Steven Spielberg movie, you can expect to be entertained. So last night, when we went to see War of the Worlds, I expected that my $8 would be well spent. And, it was, just not for the actual movie itself. Because outside of some decent f.x, the movie was pretty terrible.
I arrived a little early and waited inside. Everyone else decided to meet outside, because it was nice outside, obviously. So as I came outside to get them, I noticed our friend Nicole was wearing a bright orange shirt — and so was I. So in one of those couldn’t-be-funnier-if-it-was-scripted moments, I snuck up and the first words out of my mouth were not “hey” or “what’s up” but “I like your style” with a wink and a point at her. This caused Nate to laugh hysterically and award me the gold star, and perhaps embarrassed Nicole a bit. I mean, its difficult to handicap the projected winner between “couple dressed alike at the movies” and “friends of opposite sexes dressed alike at the movies”. There are no winners here.
Archive for » June, 2005 «
I know I swore not to tell any stories from Pittsburgh, but I do want to tell this one.
Of all the things I’ve longed for over the years, a tattoo has never been one of them. But I have to tell you, they are an attention getter.
Monday night, my brother and his wife stopped by my house for a visit. Somewhere during their stay, my sleeve slid up ever so slightly, revealing the bottom third of my new tattoo. And Janell freaked. “Whoa, did you get a tattoo?” she exclaimed.
I told her yes indeed, I’d gotten really drunk on Saturday night, and this cute girl I’d met earlier in the trip somehow coaxed me into getting matching heart tattoos. I woke up Sunday morning and went, whoa, when did that happen?? They were both speechless.
The leadership conference, where board of directors members from all 52 chapters nationwide of the design organization of which I am a member gather for four days each year, was in Pittsburgh this year — that’s why I was out there in the Steel City, representing for the Nebraska chapter.
I think my friend Kelly from Jacksonville described it the best I’ve ever heard in an email conversation we had today:
“it was like summer camp for adults. The debauchery was quite memorable.”
The thing is, everyone at the conference does the same thing for a living. We’re all designers, we all have the same basic interests, so we’re all like family, whether you know everyone or not. And by the end of the weekend, you do know everyone, and you do some fairly crazy things with them that you wouldn’t do any other time. Its a great time. But reiterating what I said yesterday, I can’t tell you the stories.
There is one story I want to tell. Stop back later today to hear it.
Ah, Pittsburgh. I wish I was still there. You cannot underestimate how difficult it is to wind down from five days of being a rock star. This year I took the day after we returned off work, just to attempt to come down to earth.
I could tell you stories of 200 people taking over a bar, forcing the lone bartender to call in three buddies to help out; of drinking Iron City beer out of Aluminum Bottles while eating a Primanti Brothers sandwich (Meat of your choice, Cheese, Fries, Slaw, and Tomatoes all between two pieces of bread); of dancing in a church-converted-into-Techno club named “The Sanctuary”; or wearing a feather boa at a party held in an old jail. But I won’t tell you those stories.
I’m headed for Pittsburgh momentarily, and will be out there on the east coast until next Tuesday. Sorry, but I don’t anticipate having time to post anything until I get back. While it would be cool to post from Pittsburgh PA like the dudes over at BE A DESIGN GROUP did from the HOW Design Conference in Chicago last week, I figure to be spending too much time at the parties and the bars with the ladies to do that…
You bet.
Look forward to next week, when I’ll have the biggest most ginormous post ever detailing everything I’m at liberty to discuss about the events and happenings of the trip. Lots of photos of me with people you don’t recognize, likely. So, you bet.