Conference Urges

2003-07-15

I don't know what it is, but at IT exhibition I get a one track mind, and it ain't the technical track. I've learned to control my urges by getting them out of the way first, then I can get on with the useful stuff. I am of course, talking about the give-aways, or 'gizzitts' (as in, 'go on, gizzitt, go on')

Last night, on the opening night of the conference I exceeded myself, I really did, in my blatant disregard for what people were saying at their stands and in my direct approach to what really mattered. 'What's in the box,' I said, 'Can I have one?' I also tried 'I don't work on Sundays,' which seemed to hit the spot.

So, here, goes. In a style reminiscent of the children's travel game, I went to the expo and I blagged:

Five mini-penknives

One squidgy penguin

Three climbing clips (marked 'not for climbing', two with a compass on the strap)

Various sweets and candies

One pink fluorescent Frisbee ring

One water pistol ' loaded (I overheard someone say, 'we need to find someone we know to fire this at.' I wasn't so discriminating!)

One cap ' blue

Two monoculars (does that make a binocular?)

One fridge magnet clip

One inflatable neck cushion

A paperclip tray

A pocket radio ' with built in torch (flashlight) and compass

One squidgy chair (fits the penguin)

Three notebooks

Five gold rings

One cable clip

A plastic egg containing silly putty

Two digital dice - bang it down and it displays a number with its six LED's

One calculator/ruler

A number of pens

A handy clip with extending string for conference badges or ski passes

One bar of chocolate that looks like a gold AmEx card

One metal torch

One metric conversion card

Two auto-rewind modem cables

One drinking bottle

A map of Las Vegas

One multipurpose survival card (with built in tools and ' you guessed it ' compass)

Ten chocolate $100 gaming chips

Two t-shirts

I think that's about it (I was joking about the gold rings). The winner of the prize for the most worthwhile gizzitt has to be the survival card. Now I must remember to pack it in my suitcase for the way home, otherwise it won’t make it past the checks!

On to more serious stuff: I'm absolutely knackered. I was up for twenty three and a half hours yesterday and only slept for six. Mustn't grumble - where would I rather be ;-) It's now 6.15 in the morning, I've finished a slushy chick-lit novel (very good ' 'Thirty Nothing' by Lisa Jewell) and I'm off to find breakfast.