Home now. Time for sleeping.

The last day of the show officially begins in 30 minutes. It’s been a good one, but I am SO TIRED – I don’t know where the energy for the last two shows is going to come from. I know my updates have been really spotty, but it’s not my fault – the wireless at the hall wouldn’t stay up for longer than a minute at a time. I’ve been checking email and working off the wired PCs when I can, which leaves little time for the important stuff (like this website) and more time spent on astronauting so I can pay rent this month.

 I’ve taken a metric assload of pictures though, and will upload them this weekend when I’m back in Canada. I’ve had a great time in Vegas – the Creative crew is awesome to work with, and I even got in some Bjorn lovin’ on the side. It’s been a good show, but I am so ready to go home.

Yay for Vegas!

Dear lady in the gold lamé velour track suit: nothing you do, including shouting “WE DON’T WANT TO STAND OUT” at the top of your lungs, will keep you and that outfit from sticking out like a sore thumb. A shiny, gold lamé velour gold thumb. Just sayin’.

Day One of the CES went well. The first day is always the hardest; it takes a day or so for the energy to kick in and I’m hoping today is the day I am dazzling instead of merely okay. I am wearing tulle and sequins, though, so that should help my cause a lot.

Our bus driver got lost this morning, and we ended up taking a mini tour of Las Vegas, which apparently consists of more than just the Strip. Who knew!

Swag hunters are rude. Dear sir, please do not poke me hard in the shoulder when I am sitting on the floor in a roped off area, hunched over a laptop and trying desperately to eat some lunch before I pass out and demand that I hand you a t-shirt or a keychain or whatever it is I might have piled up in the boxes that I am leaning upon for support. Piss off. Go earn your shit by standing in line like everyone else, and also don’t ever touch me or I will go all Internet Superstar on your ass. Oh yes, I will. I am fierce.

Grrrrawr. See?

I had a very leisurely Sunday yesterday, for which I feel a little guilty. Everyone else at the booth was working their asses off in preparation for the event, and I was .. in the way. I checked in at the CES and got my badge (I am not Andrea this year; I am Kim Flores) and said my hellos and even ate a Fluffernutter sandwich straight from Massachusetts, courtesy of Mike. I wasn’t needed for anything, so I left the venue and spent the afternoon wandering around Las Vegas. I took the Monorail around the strip, and went to M&M World and the Coke place where I didn’t hyperventilate OR drink any Diet Coke.

Around 6pm I started to come down with a wicked bad headache, so I headed back to the hotel and ate two Super Duper Xtra XXXTREME Strength Advil along with my Fatburger. I was really worried for a while; so intense was the pain – but eventually my friend Advil kicked in, and by 10pm I was feeling quite alright. Unfortunately, I was also wide awake and had to be conscious and fully dressed at 6:30am. I tossed and turned all night, waking up every hour or so – but thanks to a fluttery tummy full of nerves (I actually wrote “fluttery tummy full of nerds” first; something that is .. entirely different) and some much-needed caffeine, I am almost ready to go. The doors open to the masses in 19 minutes, so I best put on my game face – the first shootout is at 11am, and I’ve forgotten all I know about Quake 4.

There are times when I astounded that I am as lucky as I am to be me, and this is one of those times. Being me is *awesome*. Someone remind me of that next time I have a bad day.

My quest to become the single lamest person in all of Las Vegas has begun! As soon as I stepped off the plane, I made a bee line for – a bookstore. I bought two books! I am excited to read them! I will do that while every other person in this city is partying hearty!

My hotel room (which is huge; apparently I’ve fooled people into thinking I deserve luxury) has a view of the Strip. Specifically, when I tilt my head to the right, I can see MGM Grand and also the Coca Cola and M&M museums. I’m pretty sure I was hungry BEFORE I checked in; now I am famished and also thirsty. I will be visiting the food court next; I hear they have pizza. That’s exotic, right? It comes from Italy?

As soon as I got into my room, I unpacked my laptop and started sniffing around for internet. Did you know they expect people to pay $11.99 a DAY for internet access? That is information superhighway robbery. I will instead try to steal brief unsecured connections when I can; long enough to check email and post words. I wish internet access was free. I do not have $11.99 a day.

Now that I’m here and safe and hungry, I am very tired. I don’t know when or where I’m supposed to be tomorrow. Perhaps I should try to find out (although it would be significantly easier if I had internet access).

Hello from Seattle! Josh, Ed and I are chillin’ at Doug and Ali’s place, getting in some quality time before tomorrow night’s New Year’s Eve party. We’re also experiencing the Wii for the first time, since we haven’t been able to find any in Vancouver and therefore do not own one yet. It’s pretty much solidified our need for a Wii – maybe we should have camped out overnight after all.

We’ve also introduced Josh to the thrill of outlet shopping, much to his wallet’s dismay. I myself picked up another pair of Crocs* in anticpation of my Vegas trip – my feet do not survive the whole trade show circuit without them. Where were Crocs when I was working the sex shows? PVC goes with rubber shoes, right?

Time to Wii!

Well, maybe after I punch Josh in the junk.

*: I *know* they’re ugly – they’re also the only shoe I’ve found that I can wear for hours at a time without wanting to break down and cry in pain after hour three. Since I’m pretty much resigned to wear them, I might as well have them in as many colours as I can find!