Yet Another Recycling Conference, Part 1

Ya'll must think that all I do is go to recycling conferences. Not true. I just happen to have several in a row this summer, that's all. This whole trip was doomed before it even began anyway. A. asked me probably 3 months ago if I wanted to attend this conference with her. It’s a big show, she said, it’s in a very nice resort hotel, she claimed. Sure, sign me up! So she signed me up. For the conference anyway. Then I found out a few weeks ago that she hadn't reserved me a room and there were no more available. Luckily, she badgered the poor people at the hotel into giving me "the last room - a cancellation." Okay, crisis averted.

Next drama – getting to the hotel from the airport. A. said I should just take the hotel shuttle. I called the hotel on Friday morning to schedule their shuttle service. They told me it was $120 EACH WAY. What the FUCK?! Turns out this hotel is over an hour away from the airport. So I called A. to let her know the outrageous price, and to find out if she would be able to pick me up instead. She didn’t call back until 11:30 on Saturday night, and my flight left at 10 on Sunday morning so I was already in bed. She said she wasn't sure what I should do. So I went ahead and took the shuttle. What could I do? I know it's not MY money, but still! I got to the airport and walked up to the driver.
"Hi!" I said.
He glances at me and then looks away.
I continue to stand there in front of him, probably with an annoyed/confused look on my face. He looks back at me. "Jennifer?"
"yes."
"Oh. Do you have any luggage?"
Asshole. Just because I apparently look like a college student (according to the woman at the airline ticket counter) doesn’t mean I can’t go to this fancy shmancy hotel. He is so not getting a tip. Not only am I paying them an obscene (really really offensive) amount of money for this trip, but he completely dismissed me at first. So F him.

I sat in the backseat of the van to signify to the driver that "I am NOT a talker." He tried to start a conversation anyway but a few of my monosyllabic answers finally got the message across. We drove up 87N past the exits for Burnt Hills, Round Lake, Saratoga Springs, and over the Hudson River (reminded myself to look up paintings from the Hudson River School when I get home.) Upstate NY reminds me of western TN. Lots of trees and mountains. This drive will take one hour and five minutes. Crap. How much would it have cost to rent a car? Must remember to look that up to justify outrageous ride cost. Hope a rental car would have been more. Will have to lie and say it did. Stupid. A. is such a shit. $120!!!!! Even $60 I could have justified. Nearly there. Thank God. 9 more miles. Hallelujah. There are some amazing houses down on Lake George that look like castles. And some that look like crap.

Then I got to the hotel. I found out that A. hadn’t done anything on Sunday morning except drive around and do some sightseeing. She completely could have driven to the airport to get me but she is an idiot. And her mother and boyfriend are with her. That was another thing she told me a few weeks ago. Oh yeah, my mother and boyfriend are also coming. Great. Like A. by herself isn't annoying enough, now I’ve got to deal with two other yahoos that have no business whatsoever being here. Great. Just great.

I got checked in and then headed over to the conference center to help set up our booth. A. conveniently has to "return some phone calls" so her boyfriend, M., and I end up putting the booth together ourselves. M. was alright. Not at all what I was expecting. A. is such a talker, I figured her boyfriend would have to be, too. But he was actually pretty quiet.

There was a reception that night in the conference center with FREE ALCOHOL. All of the other recycling conferences I've been to have had receptions with alcohol, but they were always cash bars. But this one was FREEEEEEE! A.'s mother and boyfriend hung around the booth with us - they must have been bored out of their minds. I was bored and I was the one talking to people. I can't imagine spending my free time at one of these shows. I think they were just there for the beer.