I’m eating foraged chocolate and drinking stolen Diet Coke.
We auto show journalists (if I may call myself one) are scavengers, you see. We don’t really care about the cars; what we want to know is, do you still have any of those USB sticks in the shape of a bolt? Can I pick up another pair of bongos from Jeep for my friend? Are they serving pizza at Suzuki, or chili dogs at Dodge? Ooh, sushi at Mazda!
Today was a banner day for The Great Scavenge – there was a speech by Mark LaNeve at an exclusive dining establishment, and they saw fit to toss me a plate of grub when I was done. Okay, by “toss” I mean, “gratefully proffer” and by “grub” I mean filet mignon and coffee-flavored creme brulee. The filet was cold but delicious.
This has definitely been the most frustrating trip I’ve gone on for work. I spend most of my time pushing the reporters to get in front of the camera, and the rest of my time in a cavalcade of taxis. Except yesterday after the show – no taxis. No taxis for miles. I walked halfway to the Sheraton from Javitz, which took at least an hour.
The hotel front desk lady sympathetically pointed out that I was dripping wet. I nodded, as the gestures that came to mind would have required I drop any one of the three large containers I hauled across that lovely area of Manhattan called Port Authority.
Things did not improve when I got to my room to discover that, yes, I left my key in my other pants. And that the maid cleaned my room, which I don’t need – I’ll re-use a towel, and my bed was tousled just so, thanks.
I got almost literally no sleep last night, leaving me with a headache to beat all headaches, and I have 4 videos to edit tonight.
I’ve noted that my window opens wide, here on the 25th floor. If anything else goes wrong, I’m going to start throwing things out the window until catharsis is achieved.
PS I’m coming home with two sets of (kinda painful) headphones from Scion, 4 pens from Kelley Blue Book, a bag and two chocolate bars. I skipped the hip-hop-tastic Scion Hat.
This reminds me of my days as a newspaper reporter… oh, glorious free stuff…
Isn’t it so awful how you start connecting companies/etc to the cool free junk you scored from them? And by awful, I mean cool. And by cool free junk, I mean the extremely nutritious goodies and mind-melting gadgets they hand out.
Oh, the days. I’m living vicariously through you at the moment, BTW.
Heh, yeah, some girl in the hotel elevator says, “oh, do you work for Scion?” “Erm, no. That’s just my backpack.”
I have ze Scion XB. If it awards you any benefits, I’ll let you be an honorary co-owner.
I <3 my box.
(Err, ok. I realize how bad that last statement sounds. Just, nevermind.)
I have ze Scion XB. If it awards you any benefits, I’ll let you be an honorary co-owner.
I <3 my box.
(Err, ok. I realize how bad that last statement sounds. Just, nevermind.)
Heh, yeah, some girl in the hotel elevator says, “oh, do you work for Scion?” “Erm, no. That’s just my backpack.”
This reminds me of my days as a newspaper reporter… oh, glorious free stuff…
Isn’t it so awful how you start connecting companies/etc to the cool free junk you scored from them? And by awful, I mean cool. And by cool free junk, I mean the extremely nutritious goodies and mind-melting gadgets they hand out.
Oh, the days. I’m living vicariously through you at the moment, BTW.
Nice swag!
Bummer on the rest.
Oh, and Butcher’s has fries again because so many of us complained! They were delicious at lunch today. :P
Nice swag!
Bummer on the rest.
Oh, and Butcher’s has fries again because so many of us complained! They were delicious at lunch today. :P
I’ve known people who take a second empty suitcase with them to library conferences, in prep for the freebies. It’s sort of embarassing to watch the more extreme grabbers.
Wow, impressive.
Wow, impressive.
I’ve known people who take a second empty suitcase with them to library conferences, in prep for the freebies. It’s sort of embarassing to watch the more extreme grabbers.
I bet the blue book pens are awesome!
Hotel workers are even more grabby because we get fewer things – I abducted a magnet in shape of the Travelocity gnome (of evil).
Now if only I could get another job…that would be nice but the Troy hotels seem bent on only hiring downright rude staff.
I bet the blue book pens are awesome!
Hotel workers are even more grabby because we get fewer things – I abducted a magnet in shape of the Travelocity gnome (of evil).
Now if only I could get another job…that would be nice but the Troy hotels seem bent on only hiring downright rude staff.