40 replies to this topic

[jimknecht]

Yep.. dumber than dirt.

So here I am tonight, sitting in a hotel room after attending a regional show in the Carolinas. Ordered room service with a Coke. So when I tried pouring the Coke into the glass, the Coke spilled all over me & the desk (thankfully not the laptop). Now my hands don't shake & my aim is pretty good (not counting the bathroom :D), so what the heck? Come to find out, they put clear plastic wrap over the glass & I didn't notice it. What a dumb a$$!

To add insult to injury, I brought too big of a display to this show. Now, most booths are a standard 10' x 10', and my pop up display is 10' wide. Now I saw in the literature, that this show uses booths that are 10' x 8'. I saw that but assumed the width was 10", because most displays are that size. Well, tried to pop up the display & danged if it wouldn't fit. The booth was 8' wide. What a dumb a$$!

Anyone else dumb like me?

Edited by jimknecht, 16 February 2010 - 07:50 PM.

[Schlep]

jimknecht said:

Yep.. dumber than dirt.

So here I am tonight, sitting in a hotel room after attending a regional show in the Carolinas. Ordered room service with a Coke. So when I tried pouring the Coke into the glass, the Coke spilled all over me & the desk (thankfully not the laptop). Now my hands don't shake & my aim is pretty good (not counting the bathroom :D), so what the heck? Come to find out, they put clear plastic wrap over the glass & I didn't notice it. What a dumb a$$!

To add insult to injury, I brought too big of a display to this show. Now, most booths are a standard 10' x 10', and my pop up display is 10' wide. Now I saw in the literature, that this show uses booths that are 10' x 8'. I saw that but assumed the width was 10", because most displays are that size. Well, tried to pop up the display & danged if it wouldn't fit. The booth was 8' wide. What a dumb a$$!

Anyone else dumb like me?

Got to be honest Jim I am not amazed :D:D:D:D:D:D:):)

[jimknecht]

Thanks, my ex friend. :D

[royhill]

LOL . . . watching your reaction during the Coke spill would have been worth the price of admission. Don't beat yourself up too much, when one is tired one doesen't think much when doing an everyday task like puoring a drink.

Now if you had spilled a good brandy or burbon that would be a different story :D.

[Schlep]

jimknecht said:

Thanks, my ex friend. :D

I'm there for you buddy:D:D:D

[jimknecht]

royhill said:

LOL . . . watching your reaction during the Coke spill would have been worth the price of admission. .

Possibly. However I guarantee hearing my reaction would have been better. Hope there aren't any kids in the rooms next to mine. My daddy was a Marine & I learned well.

[Chris Miller]

You gotta be the oldest thing out there setting up a booth. Cant you just hire some young pups to do it? I bet they would even be more enthusiastic! :D

[jimknecht]

Chris Miller said:

You gotta be the oldest thing out there setting up a booth. Cant you just hire some young pups to do it? I bet they would even be more enthusiastic! :D

Enthusiastic? Maybe. Problem is, young pups like you are just like a puppy. Enthusiastic, makes lots of noise, doesn't have a clue what is going on, makes a big, stinky mess & needs to be swatted with rolled up paper to keep you in line.

Just ain't worth all the hassle. This old fart will do it himself. :)

[FindingPromo]

Jim,

Hopefully between all of your challenges, the show was good for you.

After all you could be in a different situation like a friend of mine was on Friday. After on a weekly long travel tour driving from D.C to Pittsburgh because of no flights in the snow and wrapping up in Louisville last friday, he called me to see if I could help.

He had booked all of his flights, outbound Monday to Charlotte, for setup and the show today, onto SPPA tomorrow, for set up and the show which I think is Th. but then, finally realized that his company had not booked a booth for CAAMP. He phoned me to see if I "knew" anyone to help, since the show had sold out a little while back.

Into the evening, I'm phoning and texting the show manager / Executive Director for CAAMP that I do know very well, and by Saturday they had worked out a solution. I think they put him in the entry hallway, but hey he was showing!

Hope your investment in the Regionals is working for you and your customers in those markets Jim!

[3Koi Maui]

Jim, your story reminds me of the April Fools prank where you plastic wrap the victim's toilet. Of course it doesn't work so well if you are the one who has to clean it up.

I'm thinking the problem here isn't so much your intelligence as maybe needing a new prescription on those glasses! (The ones on your head, not the one in your hand)

And actually for the second story I think the show planners are the dumb ones. If most displays are 10' wide, then having 8' wide booths is pretty dumb. I would guess width is better than depth, because a wider booth would look bigger.

[jimknecht]

Thanks Mark. I find you work these shows with a different mindset. It is not about absolute numbers who come by the booth, but utilizing the extra time you can spend with the distributors. I notice also that experienced distributors bring their green folks to these shows, as the costs are so low. I especially like working with them.

So on to Birmingham tomorrow. Wonder what I'll screw up there? :D

Edited by jimknecht, 16 February 2010 - 09:21 PM.

[jimknecht]

3Koi Maui said:

Jim, your story reminds me of the April Fools prank where you plastic wrap the victim's toilet.

Same thought crossed my mind.

3Koi Maui said:

I'm thinking the problem here isn't so much your intelligence as maybe needing a new prescription on those glasses! (The ones on your head, not the one in your hand)

Not really. I am near sighted, so I wasn't using my glasses... or obviously my mind.

3Koi Maui said:

And actually for the second story I think the show planners are the dumb ones. If most displays are 10' wide, then having 8' wide booths is pretty dumb. I would guess width is better than depth, because a wider booth would look bigger.

Nope, I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to do their job, especially when you consider all the volunteers who are involved. I'm sure these folks have to use what is provided by the facility. I take full blame for my ignorance & failure to get clarification.

[EagleMountain]

At least all you did was get wet, sound off and admit to being human. Many others would have looked for a way to sue the hotel for not providing sufficient imprinting, colors or patterns on the plastic covering, and attempt to garner a discount or refund from the show producers for not illustrating the dimensions properly via diagram. For many, it's always "someone else's" fault. Another trait of old age, I guess. ;):D

[royhill]

Rick, how true your take on this is . . . I got out of the bar business in the eighties when it started being the bar's fault for someone getting drunk and having an accident because generally the bar had deeper pockets then the "drunk". Then it was McDonalds for serving too hot of coffee. At least Jim is taking full responibilty for his own actions.

I must be living a sheltered life, the plastic wrap around the toilet - yukkkkkkk! (but it is funny:D)

[Schlep]

Wow our wives are so perceptive. I mentioned to my wife how you spilled your drink and the first thing she said was he forgot to take the plastic off. :D:D

Behind every great man is a greater woman. :)

[jimknecht]

Schlep said:

Behind every great man is a greater woman. :)

In our cases, that ain't saying much. :D

[rosec]

Hey Jim,

I still love you!!!

Silly as you are....I truely appreciate the man that finds humor in his own folly and shares it with this bunch!!!

:DRose

[jimknecht]

rosec said:

Hey Jim,

I still love you!!!

Silly as you are....I truely appreciate the man that finds humor in his own folly and shares it with this bunch!!!

:DRose

Thanks Rose. I can be a lovable guy... so long as you don't mind them dumb as dirt. :)

[robinr21]

Jim, I have so many stories to make you feel way less stupid.

A favorite is when, in a prior life, I was working out of town and was absolutely exhausted after two major back to back presentations and several weeks of preparation. I went to Rio Bravo and sat at the bar and ordered nachos and a beer. So there I am...nachos, beer and a bottle of hot sauce. I grabbed the beer and poured it all over my nachos (thinking, of course, it was the hot sauce). And then I just looked around to see if anyone saw me and just ate them anyway.

[jimknecht]

robinr21 said:

Jim, I have so many stories to make you feel way less stupid.

A favorite is when, in a prior life, I was working out of town and was absolutely exhausted after two major back to back presentations and several weeks of preparation. I went to Rio Bravo and sat at the bar and ordered nachos and a beer. So there I am...nachos, beer and a bottle of hot sauce. I grabbed the beer and poured it all over my nachos (thinking, of course, it was the hot sauce). And then I just looked around to see if anyone saw me and just ate them anyway.

Good try, Robin... but no cigar. A real dumbo, like me, would have taken a big swig of hot sauce. Granted, you might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but you've got a long way to go to be in my league. :D