It's been a crappy week culminating in yesterday being told that I had to hire contractors myself to build our trade show booth in three weeks. In the eight years I've been responsible for doing trade shows I have NEVER had to hire someone mostly because if we pay $70,000 to rent a booth, I kind of figure that some of the customer service for said booth would be oh...hiring the people who KNOW HOW TO BUILD IT.

It's 20 feet tall and 30 feet wide. Can you just picture me telling someone how to build it? I can barely put together the posts and poles for the Alley's black room dividers.

Alas, this morning I did find a team to build it and they are confident they will be able to do it in under 70 man-hours for $153 an hour. Yes. That's the gig we need...all you handy people you should just go hang out at the Minneapolis Convention Center and hire on as day laborers.

After two stints on a Habitat for Humanity house I know my forte is more in the design and organizing and not the actual standing on ladders and building.

I really can't wait until April 4 when the trade show will be over. On the plus side, if all goes to plan I may be able to squeeze in a free trip to disneyland one of the days I'm out there. Conveniently a daughter of a person I know works there and he said she could maybe get me into the park. I don't think I will do both parks...maybe just keep it traditional and just do disneyland.

Ah well...we'll see if that actually happens...