October 5-6, 2008 - Chicago

So, this is our booth at the NACS Show (National Association of Convenience Stores).

Gas price sign interface (fairly snazzy in our world), kiosks and terminals of all shapes and sizes...

And this is just 2/3 of a row. There are probably about a hundred other rows, most a lot more exciting than this.

For example, the Molson-Coors booth...
Bartenders (mostly girls) pouring free beers from all over the world. Some are beers Molson-Coors makes (Killian's, for example), some are ones they import (such as Pilsner Urquell).
I know, I have a hard job.

Several free beers later, we find ourselves in the presidential suite of the the Hyatt. It had at least three balconies on the main floor (bedrooms were downstairs and I didn't see them). It also had a baby grand piano, two bartenders, and a helipad. If it was a suite in a big-budget movie about the life of Howard Hughes, Larry Flint, or 50 Cent, you wouldn't believe it was a legit hotel room...

He had a KILLER view!

This is my friend Art. He decided to try the ole female trick of taking off his undergarment while leaving his shirt in place. Luckily for the other unsuspecting bar patrons (yes, we're in public at this point), he didn't go for the lower under-clothes...
The photo is timed 1:40 AM.

This is 2:40 AM.
Art recounts his adventures of the evening to Eric Smith (my new boss) and a relaxing Beth [Cherry] Atchison in the hotel's preferred guest lounge.

Art puts a little extra emphasis on a point as Smitty pretends to listen.
The "touch table" in front of us is playing music from virtual CDs we put into our playlist. That thing is seriously cool.

(Smitty is tired of flash bulbs.)

So, about 3:30 AM we finish our 'room service.' I'm sure we actually needed that last bit of wine (which I got from the male stewardess that took a shining to me on the way up to Midway).

After Eric and Beth went to bed, Art and I had to pee. They locked the restroom on this floor, so Art grabbed a glass and I grabbed the bottle. I filled that sucker up to the brim and "pinched off."
The next morning was a slow one for most of us...
This is when we realize we actually DO have a hard job...

The next night, we walk home from dinner past the random metalworks on display in Chicago.
Not even 10 PM and Smitty is sniffing the back side of the steel moose...

...after which Art has his way with it.
Boys will be boys...