COLLABORATE 09: Registration, Bearings, etc.

When I found out I would be attending, I decided to make it a family affair. So we have peepaw and grandma (my parents), wifey and the kids. Staying at a condo about 10 miles from the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC).

Got into town last night. It was a rough 80 minute drive from Tampa. I feel bad for all those who don't have it so easy.

Finding the OCCC
I had wifey bring me to the OCCC since I wouldn't need a car during the day. As we were leaving the condo, we stopped at the guest services building to get on their wifi. Frustrated with their crappy connection, I jumped back in the car and off we went. Wifey had directions there via her iPhone so we tried to follow those. If I have directions I will typically follow them, if I don't, I wing it. That makes me adventurous (or stupid). About an hour later (remember, 10 miles away) we finally arrived.

Registration
Having scored a media pass, I figured I would get some sort of cool, all-access pass reserved only for the "special" people. Nope. Though not a shocker...I still have a hard time thinking of myself as media (I do know that I am "special" though). I found my booth to register (seriously, I had to do my ABCs in my head to make sure I wasn't going to the wrong one...I did that in November while voting). One minute later off to get my backpack, aka schwag.

Etc.
I'm sitting outside the Speaker Ready Room on a bean bag, charging my battery, watching people and using the wifi. At 3:15 I'm going to check out the OAUG New Speaker Orientation. I can ask questions and meet a few past speakers.

I'm scheduled to do an interview with Jan Wagoner on Tuesday. All I know now is that he is the past president of OAUG. I have no angles yet. What the heck am I going to write about? I'll have to find some others around here that know him or just wing it (as I do way too often...I'm thinking being prepared is far easier and less stressful).