Yet Another Recycling Conference, Part 2

8. 15 am
"Have you ever talked to so-and-so about stuff?"
"I’m not sure, A. is really who you should talk to abou-"
"You know, you should really talk to so-and-so - Have you?"
"Well, I don’t know. You should ask A, becau-"
"Someone should talk to them about this."
Go away and DIE!
Some people are too stupid to be allowed. The conference started at 7:30, but A. hasn't shown up yet. This guy is totally not listening to me. Finally I get him to go away by shoving A.'s business card at him and telling him she'll call him.

8:45 A. finally appears. Then disappears in search of coffee.

9:15 A. reappears. She begins telling me a convoluted story involving a sailboat, her ex-fiancee, a trip to Greece, her childhood dog, a University of Maryland fraternity house, and her basement remodel. The point of the story? She forgot to bring tape.

Noon I’ve been trying to talk to A. about this computer training I wrote, but it’s been 3 hours now and I haven’t been able to get a word in. She has an unbelievable capacity for speech. I think the problem is that she’ll start saying something, that will remind her of something else, so she’ll have to tell that entire story, that will remind her of something else, so she’ll have to tell THAT entire story, and before you know it, it’s three hours later and you have a screaming headache and just want to escape... but there is NO ESCAPE!!!! A.'s mom and boyfriend are hanging around again. A. keeps trying to get them to go do something fun but they would rather sit around and look at us.

3:30 Another reception with FREE ALCOHOL. I pound 3 beers while A. talks and talks and talks to someone who probably just wanted to know what time it was. Will this day never end?

5:30 The four of us have an excellent dinner at the hotel golf club. I read that the hotel we're staying at is haunted, and that THIS restaurant is one of the haunted spots. Don't see anything supernatural during dinner. A.'s mom is getting on everyone's nerves by looking at her watch every 5 minutes and asking "Is it time for Raymond yet?" I KNOW this is the last episode of Everybody Loves Raymond but seriously! You've got plenty of time lady. Just stop it!!!!

9:00 Several of the exhibitors are hosting hospitality suites with - you guessed it - free alcohol! I visit three of them and have a glass of wine at each. Then I decide to go to my room before I tell A. what I REALLY think of her.