Apr 10 2008
I Haven’t Closed a Bar
in a long, long time. And then there was last night.
That conference that I mentioned here started Tuesday night with a reception. So, I went to the hotel after spending a full day at the office (I did the responsible thing and worked from another desk - and I still don’t know whether they ever got my workspace reconnected.), I logged in and checked some email and then headed down to the registration desk.
I had a couple of glasses of wine, some appetizers, and called it an early night. I’d been up and moving for about 19 hours at this point. I was exhausted and breakfast the next morning was at 6:30. No, unfortunately, that was not a typo. Six-thirty.
My cute shoes that were so comfortable the day before when I put them on, made my feet cry when I put them BACK on that morning. But, a good Hotfessional perseveres, and I am nothing if not a good Hotfessional.
A full day of speakers from the ginormous company that bought me and my corporate family followed. Senior executives that have already told me and mine that we will only be working with them a few months. However! Good Hotfessional (see above) that I am, I knew this was an excellent opportunity to network and champion myself and my team.
So, I focused and asked pertinent (not impertinent!) and probing questions. I participated in the activities and made sure that I engaged appropriately.
When cocktail hour started at 5:30 (eleven hours after I put the fucking shoes on) - I should have heard “warning, warning, warning” reverberating through my head. I actually heard “vodka, vodka, vodka” blaring. The bars were set up outside the room where we were going to have dinner. I met up with a couple of friends who were also attending, and went to see the cute little bartender. (Little = “short, tiny” Cute = “75 years old with an accent”) The cute little bartender was VERY liberal with the vodka. Since they didn’t have lemonade, I had my second favorite - cranberry juice.
I had been talking all day, so was a bit parched. I finished my first drink, and was having a second when we got the call to be seated. Since I don’t eat red meat, I had to wait for the chef to fly to the Northwest and catch, kill, and prepare my salmon. While everyone else was eating their filet mignon, I was sipping my white wine. When the after-dinner activities started mere minutes after the arrival of my food, I was on my third glass. And since I’m a good Hotfessional (see above), I didn’t complain when the waitress plucked my 1/2 eaten meal out from under my chin.
When the fun and games were done, we adjourned to the hallway bars again. I had a little chat with my cute little bartender. He was even more generous with the vodka. Maybe he wanted to get rid of it before last call.
Someone (no, not me) suggested going down to the “regular bar” to finish our scintillating conversations. At that point, I’m sure I was channeling Kristabella. So, of course I went. It’s a good thing the “regular bar” wasn’t trying to empty the entire bottle of vodka down my throat, because by the time I made it back to my room (at 1 a.m.), I was sure that I had had enough cranberry juice to ensure that I will never have a Urinary Tract Infection for the rest.of.my.life.
When my alarm went off a mere 4 hours later (just kill me), and I stretched my legs out, my left calf knotted up into one of those cramps that make you sure that pulling your lower lip up over your head hurts less. For those other guests on the 23rd floor? Please accept my apologies. It wasn’t a screaming banshee that you heard. It was me. As I tried to straighten my leg enough to stand up.
I made it to the shower - considered getting into a fetal position in the tub and just letting the water drown me - and got dressed for another 6:30 breakfast. I turned on the news. This is the story I heard. My flight was included in the 900 cancellations for today. I am sitting at O’Horror writing this with a confirmed replacement flight though, so, that is good. Because otherwise, I’d be emailing Poppy to see if I could sleep at her house tonight.
—- And yes, I actually did NOT post yesterday. But, I was awake for 20 hours, two days in a row. That should count for something. Blog365 be damned. —-
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Next time? Eat the danged meat. I hope you and your poor feet get home to a nice relaxing, massage.
witchypoo’s last blog post..More Perverse Parenting
Oh, my lord, this was the trip from HELL. I don’t think there was enough alcohol in all of Chicago to make up for all the crap you went through.
Hope you get home SOON and SAFELY!
moo’s last blog post..pet peeves
I’m feeling ill just reading this. Those are insane hours you’re keeping…what were you thinking drinking alcohol, you crazy girl?!
BTW, I don’t eat red meat either, and I also find that the alternative often comes out so late, what’s the point? It’d almost be better to just get the red meat option and eat the sides, you know?
Heidi
Heidi’s last blog post..When you were young, was it the old days?
Those cramps hurt like a wench esp. after the days you have been pulling. I’ve been having them since i bought the weapons of destruction aka the SWs I’m STILL breaking in (well looking at in their box because those puppies hurt!!)
I take it there will be lemonade SANS vodka when you return home? Or are you just going to be able to have cocktails?
Blog 365 can just shush - you posted more than 90whatever times this year anywayz.
Get home safe and American can bite it! I will stick with my AirTran luv!
Lys’s last blog post..Deal Alert: JVC Camcorder…
Next time you feel a cramp starting, stretch the muscle. It’ll hurt, but it’s the fastest way to stop a cramp in it’s tracks. For example, if you get a cramp in your calf, push your heel down. It stops the muscle from spasming.
Grateful Guy’s last blog post..The “Things I’m Grateful For” April Contest
I’m the “Manhatten up please, red wine with dinner please, why yes, yes a Jameson at the corner bar DOES sound like a good idea!” kinda gal myself. Under fed and over served is NEVER a good combination.
Fannie’s last blog post..Equation
I hope you at least have a pleasant flight home. My shoes hurt so badly yesterday that I did preschool pickup barefoot!
Shania’s last blog post..What happened after I got pregnant or Part II: The Birth
GOOD GRIEF! The important thing is, you survived! AA and their 900 bit you, didn’t they? That schedule sounds almost like a late October 1970 elk hunting trip I went on east of Jackson, Wyoming, in the Gros Ventres Mtns. The affair was a “spike” tent camp, where we hunted on horseback all day. It was up at 4:30am, breakfast at 5:00am, help saddle the horses at 5:30am, and be on your horse up the side of the mountain by 5:45am, in the dark! Hunt all day up above the snow line, arrive back down at the tent camp after dark, help unsaddle the horses, start drinking waiting for supper of steak, potatoes and whatever, finish supper, start playing cards, all the while drinking, and finally call it a day and go crawl in your sleeping bag by about 12:00 or 1:00am. At 2:30am, get up and go to the can (outside), throw more wood into your small wood heater, and try to sleep some more before 4:30am, when it started all over again. Saddle sores, anyone? No wonder I quit drinking 30 years ago. Hope you get some rest, Ree.
coastrat’s last blog post..Beautiful Spring Weather
That’s a hell of a trip. I hope the rest of it goes well–with or without vodka.
Jennifer H’s last blog post..Redecorating
Hope you made it home safe from O’Horror!
GoddessintheGroove’s last blog post..When gas is 4 bucks a gallon….
6.30am? Are the organisers freaking stupid?
Oh yeah and you have the best luck with airports and flights don’t you.
Veronica’s last blog post..What?! It’s Educational!
smootches my lovely. And I won’t be accepting those shoes now…
Wish I was there with you, I am just in the mood for a wild girls night dancing on tables and flirting with old decrepit men.
Kelley’s last blog post..Bouncy castles and idiots at the Psychic festival.
Ouchie! I used to get leg cramps like that as a teenager, the last remnants of growing pains, and they were brutal. Hope you aren’y hobbling about, and got home safe and sound.
Lyvvie’s last blog post..For Jill
I hope you made it back ok! Drinking… ugh.. Made the mistake last night of having two *whisque lemonades* out at dinner. It was just glorified whisky sours with more whisky than sour. They were good… don’t get me wrong, lol, but there had to have been 2 or 3 drinks worth of alcohol in each one of them. I am not feeling so hot this morning.
flutterby’s last blog post..Random Yammering
Sounds like you made the most of the evening to me!
I have those leg cramps every once in a blue moon and when I scream in bed, AS always thinks I am nuts. (More nuts than I normally am, anyway!)
Laurel’s last blog post..Now It’s Your Turn
Well, at least you didn’t have to wake up to shortman or mr. hot after such a night of fun and vodka. (as I once called it, “a vottle of bodka”) Such a sneaky alcohol–you’re fine one minute, the next thing you know you’re dancing on the bar and the next? You’ve fallen and you can’t get up.
Good luck getting home. I hope you get to stay at Poppy’s because I’d love to read that post.
Melissa’s last blog post..Oh, Sugar!
Excellent work! Even with the leg cramps. Which I *ahem* never get or anything….
Kristabella’s last blog post..Another Post Where I Talk About My Teeth
(Image that this comment is said with a soothing, Southern accent, even though I’m not really a Southern belle)
Oh, sweetie, I feel your pain. Not literally, but you know where I’m coming from. I hope you get some relief and rest and all real soon.
Dana Whitaker’s last blog post..The billiard cafe is my “Tony Anthony’s”
On behalf of the city of Chicago: We’re sorry.
Being drunk for an early business call is the worst. I went on a business trip with some colleagues and we partied until 2 AM, got up at 6 and had to stand ALL DAY while we learned about our company’s internal workings. I took several trips to the bathroom to sit down and put my head between my knees… it was bad.
So, you’ve got ALL my sympathy!!
Sensitiva McFeelingsly’s last blog post..Weekend Update