Really, I’m wiped.

No, seriously. I just worked a trade show here in Chicago that pretty much defines how the things I help create are going to sell for the rest of the year. I haven’t worked a trade show since the mid-80’s when my dad’s old company paid me something like twenty bucks to dress up like a leprechaun and run around trying to spread the good word of O’Brien homes. On the plus side many of my companies were very well received – and that’s an understatement. On the downside I’ve been working insane hours for the past week and a half and had to work through the weekend and now I’m back in the office. Man-o-man do I need a break!

Highlights from the show, you ask? Well there was a David Lynch moment when I was walking in on the first day and the first thing I see is a choreographed dance number with people waving hand-held vacuum cleaners. I seriously had a moment where I went, “No way. This is not my life.” And wanted to turn tail and run.

It got better though as I was lucky to have two demo-girls in my booth – and they both shared the same name so even my crappy memory didn’t fail me in this instance – and their chattiness really helped to pass the time when I wasn’t talking to buyers. If it wouldn’t have been taken the wrong way I would have invited both of them out for a drink to show my appreciation! Also I was situated right across from a coffee shop my company was hosting so I got plenty of caffeine. The best part though was that I was centrally located to almost all the food demos so I was able to nosh pretty much non-stop.

On top of all this I got to meet George Foreman which was pretty durn cool. Celebrities don’t usually excite me but I have to admit that Foreman is a bit of an icon in my eyes. Super nazz.

But, I mean, the show itself was non-stop between the convention center and the evening dinners and parties and so on and so on. Photogal did get to meet a bunch of my co-workers at our opening party – which featured music by both Jim Belushi and Aretha Franklin – and we were both wowed by the sheer spectacle of all the free food and booze and entertainment. So there were definite pay-offs that popped up in the middle of all this hard work.

However I cannot fucking wait to get on a plane to New Orleans for a much needed and very deserved mini vacation in two weeks!