October 18, 2000
Dear Everyone:
When I got the annual announcement about the Annual
ARMA International Conference some
months ago, I didn’t pay it much attention.
I’d been to a Conference once, in
Seattle, over eight
years ago, and didn’t expect to attend another any time soon (they
always send someone who hasn’t gone yet).
But then I noticed that this year’s Conference would be taking
place in Las Vegas.
Now, I haven’t paid much attention to Las Vegas,
either. Gambling and big
production shows don’t hold much attraction for me.
But recently, I became aware that
Las Vegas has
been trying to become more “family-oriented” to attract more
(non-gambling) money.
Several people had told me about trips they had made to Las Vegas in
which they reported having quite a lot of (non-gambling) fun.
Apparently, the people who run Las Vegas have
noticed how much (non-gambling) money the big theme parks have been
raking in. So they’ve
started downplaying the gambling and putting in more
roller coasters.
“Jeannie” and I like roller coasters.
And we haven’t been away together in quite a while.
(Ashland
doesn’t count here.) Also,
I’ve become much more involved with ARMA (Association of Records
Managers and Administrators, for those of you who have forgotten) in
recent years; which makes me feel like I would have more in common with
other Conference attendees.
So I decided that I would attend the Conference,
even if the Company chose not to send me.
(The Company was perfectly happy to let me go as long as I paid
my own way.) “Jeannie” could
come along for nothing more than the cost of airfare and we could spend
the weekend, before the official opening of the Conference, playing
around together in Las Vegas.
Then “Jeannie” could fly home on Monday while I continued with
the Conference.
That was the plan.
The Conference is next week.
Our plane tickets are for this Saturday.
“Jeannie” called me last night to say that she absolutely,
positively HAS to take a
deposition
in San Jose,
beginning at 9:00 Monday morning, three hours before her return flight
is scheduled to leave Las Vegas.
Looks like I’m going alone (except for the five
other Compoids from the
Bay Area
who will be attending). Like
the poet said, “The
best laid schemes o’ mice and men / Gang aft a-gley.”
On the plus side, I found out that “Jeannie’s”
ticket (once the reservation is cancelled) becomes, in effect, a credit
with the airline. She can
use it to “pay” for a future ticket, with the stipulation that the new
ticket is issued in her name only.
So a trip somewhere else may take care of that.
Still, it won’t be as much fun in Las Vegas without her.
In other news…
You may have heard, or read in the papers, that
Company is planning to buy Another Company.
All I could think of at the time was, “Here we go again.”
If it’s anything like the last time, when Company acquired That
Other Company in 1984, there will be a mad scramble for records by
people who only dimly recall that they sent
something to the Records Center some time ago, only they don’t
remember what they called it, and aren’t sure what Department Code it
would be under now, but can’t you find it (on a Rush) anyway?
And all the while, the specter of a projected 7%
“downsizing” looms over everyone’s heads.
As Mother says, “Into each life some rain must fall.”
(Speaking of which, I hope it doesn’t rain while I’m in
Nevada.
Not that I plan on being outdoors all that much.
But someone did mention a tour of a chocolate factory somewhere
nearby.)
On a more cheerful note:
“Jeannie” and I went to see
Best in Show
last weekend. This movie
shares a lot with
Strictly
Ballroom, in that it takes something inherently ludicrous (competition
dancing in
Australia;
dog shows in
Philadelphia) and makes it absolutely hilarious by treating it
perfectly seriously. A
number of the characters are clichés, to be sure; but only because there
are people like that out there, or the clichés wouldn’t exist to begin
with.
We laughed all the way through it, even though we
suspected that there were some inside jokes going right over our heads.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
No Letter next week as I will be at the
aforementioned Conference.
Must remember to bring back a present for The One Who Couldn’t Go.
Love, as always,
Pete
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