working on SSCUG

I tend to take on multiple large projects at once.

For example. I have three large scale work projects in progress, school (2 finals this wek) and to top it all off I have SSCUG to wrap up in appx 2-3 weeks.

Today I was finalizing the booklet for the printers and I decided to do a lexicon of industry terminologies.

SSCUG – Symitar South Central Users Group – Hosts the Symitar community Sforum http://www.sscug.com/

SMUG – Symitar Midwest Users Group – Hosts the Symitar community listserv of the same name. To subscribe, visit http://www.smugonline.org/.

To view the SMUG archives, visit http://www.trustds.com/SMUG/.

SymEast – The Eastern Symitar Users Group - http://www.symeast.com/

NWUG – NorthWest Users Group - https://www.boardroomweb.com/

SWUG – SouthWest Users Group - http://www.symitarusers.org/

SYMWiki – The Symitar Wiki - http://www.symwiki.com/

RepGen – (aka, RG, PowerOn, specfiles, PORC (Power On RepGen Code), is the community standard name for the proprietary programming language that Symitar makes available to clients within the Episys core platform.

NTMC – (aka, MCW, Member Connect Web, NetTeller MemberConnect, Home Banking) Symitar’s home banking package.

SymiGoddess – Hosts the unofficial Client Conference/User Group apparel and merchandise. http://www.cafepress.com/SYMIGODDESS All proceeds from this website are donated to the Children’s Miracle Network.

I did a letter style opening and signed it Symigoddess too. I am hoping that comes off as lighthearted as I meant it and not pretentious. I am trying not to over think the process too much.
When I became chairman (chairwoman, chairperson) of the group I decided to make a concerted effort to bring my energy into the group and make things enjoyable and fun. We all need more fun in this world, Right?

would you Rather?

Would you Rather listen to Dan Rather give a keynote address?


Personally I would, and I plan to at the SEC this year. I was pleasantly surprised to see the keynote speaker announcement for this year. I am also happy to be presenting this year. It should be a great conference. I have dodgeball stuff to work out again as well as a booth to find manning for, so it will be yet another super hectic week-o-rama, but I really do enjoy the yearly trek to San Diego to catch up with colleagues and see what's new in the CU world.

I am wondering what else will be on the agenda this year. Registration is coming up next month right after the SSCUG conference. I am thinking I might get a rest between June and July somewhere if I am lucky. Oh wait... there's a major release in there. maybe next year :)

I am a published recording artist with pretty hair

Memphis is on my list of favorite things.


Here' a quick recap of my week:

Went to sun studios, and cut my first album in the very same studio Elvis and johnny cash once recorded in. I even used the mic Elvis sang "that's alright" into ( had to sign a disclaimer that stated I would not "lick, kiss, or touch my mouth to it" I thought that was amusing.
I am in the airport right now, but when I get back I'll post some pics of my recording debut and the trip in general. When we went down to sun, it was early and they hadn't opened yet so we walked across the street to a coffee bar for breakfast. Halfway through breakfast a guy walks up, places a business card on the table, says "this is for you" and runs away (literally). It was so very odd. I picked up the card and read the name -keith something and it was a business card for the tire alignment business next door. I flipped the card over and it read "if you want to talk to someone new... I like to text mess I like your hair it's pretty"
It was creepy. We hung out in the coffee bar trying to figure out the back way in case he was lurking outside. He was, but he just stood at the doorway of the tire place staing me down and I ran back to sun studios. After we finished the tour and recording he was gone, but the whole situation was so weird!
Next we walked back down beale st. Had mint juleps at a side bar, grabbed lunch at a local grill then headed into gibson and took the factory tour. Oh the beautiful toys... My es-335 was made there :) my les pauls were made in nashville I found out and overall it was a ton of fun. I used my willpower and did not buy the light blue dave grohl custom piece I was drooling over. After gibson we visited the memphis rock and soul museum. They had a bunch of great exhibits. We headed back to the hotel for the vendor expo/welcome party. It was nice. A bunch of us headed back down to beale for drinks afterwards and more karoke. I wound up getting to sleep at 4am with a mystery bruise on my shoulder. The next day I gave a session on change control and documentation that went over really well. I got lots of great feedback. That night we went to graceland for dinner, music, drinks and dancing. Graceland was way way smaller than I thought it would be, but still lots of fun. After graceland we headed back to the hotel for a rooftop party and then back to beale for more fun. Yesterday I got picked to play jeopardy and wound up winning an ipod which I traded with some guy for a tom tom gps. I already have more ipods than I know what to do with.
I gave another session on rep dev, and then we went walking around and shopping. We wound up having dinner back at the hotel at chez phillipe. Super yummy 7 course tasting menu with wine pairings (3.5 hour meal)
It was a great end to a great week. Oh... And the waiter at dinner last night wrote his phone number down on a sheet of paper and passed it to me. Wtf? All week I have been getting cards, numbers, and weird looks. I need to find a new perfume or something. The running conference joke was about my "pretty hair". Everywhere I turned someone was handing me a business card with pick up line comments on the back. It was funny for about the first 5 times... I am so over it
Time to get on yet another airplane...

walking in memphis

how is it that I have never made it to this wonderful place before now???

sun studios

gibson custom showcase

bb king's blues club


I am thinking a Gibson guitar factory tour is in order. I will be in need of a miracle of willpower not to come home with a new toy.

Tonight was fun. dinner at BB King's, jazz/blues music, yummy ribs, fun drinks, followed by karaoke further down on Beale St. We had 20 or so people in our group and I was the only one who sang, so I said fuck it and sang twice. I heart karaoke!

tomorrow will be sun studios and gibson heaven. Then I will be speaking Thurs and Fri, and at some point we're doing a tour/dinner at Graceland too.

flew first class into memphis. I am getting spoiled and I may never travel coach again. Seriously, first class is the only place I can fly in comfort being this damn tall. A vendor was in first class with me and started asking the stewardess to take my picture with him for his blog. He was just being silly. She asked me later who I was and could she get my autograph. I was in hysterics. My new line... "No, I am not famous, that's just how I roll."

american airlines

So I checked this morning and so far both my md80's are flying today. The prop from alaskan airlines however is having mechanical issues so now I am waiting standby to try and get to portland before my miracle american flight takes off. Seriously, I am not having good luck with the airlines lately.

On cnn right now they're showing the you tube girl beat down. I can't help but laugh that it was a group of florida kids who did this. What the hell is wrong with that state? They're showing video of the girls in court, smiling and laughing. I wonder how funny they'll find jail?
They keep saying that th "worst" of the video isn't being shown. But what they are showing is pretty bad.

And then there is the polygamy sect out of texas. Hello? These places are everywhere! Why not shut them all down?
I think I just reminded myself of why I don't watch the news anymore. Its miserable and depressing. And I really could care less about rob lowe's nanny or tony parker's fake french mistress.

I am hoping to get to portland in time for a quick trip to powell's. I am out of books to read. Need non tv stimulation!

from zer0 to sixty blog posts

I am horrible about blogging, except for when travelling. And now with myspace mobile I am amusing myself via pda. Myspace, twitter, g-chat, and all the other randomness bookmarked on my phone to keep the insanity to a minimum.
I am in portland now, went out for a quick bite to gusteaus... I love their spicy mustard. But now I still have almost 4 hours to kill. in good news, american upgarded me to first class for the rest of the night. That will help with the 4 hour flight between here and dallas. Really doent do much on the midnight flight to sa.
Anyone else out there on twitter? I made fun of it for months, then I realized it's like having an emo type pad for random thoughts. Seeing as how my memory worsens over the years, the mini thought collection of twitter is a fun reminder and has less chances of poisoning me (ink on skin) I think I want a photo twitter. The restaurant restroom had a amusing sign on the toilet handle. It read up for number one, down for number two. Then it had a drop icon for 1 and a poo icon for 2. Very random, cute, yet disturbing potty. I guess it uses less water for pee than other waste?

In other randomness... I got my trader joes fix this trip and picked up a case of dried pineapple stix. I also managed to find mcminamins pear brandy. It's like taking a shot of everclear and then biting into a bosc pear.
I picked up truffles for coworkers and a random assortment of gifts for ppl. Some of which actually read this so I will warn that I suck at the whole surprise aspect.
Short list of fun finds;
Cthulu munchkin
Handmade cufflinks using parts from an old typewriter
Talking pigeon and book
Handmade marcasite swirly necklace
Garbage pail kids (circa 1986 still in original packaging) I wonder how nasty that gum is in there?
Small plastic dolphin
2 pairs of shoes
Baby onesie - dirty dancing themed "nobody puts baby in the corner"
And I am sure I forgot something.. But I don't feel like checking twitter to remember what it was :)

table for one

There is really nothing more depressing than eating alone. I travel a lot and over the years I have gotten creative about finding ways to amuse myself away from home. Sushi bars are alwyas good if you can find a chatty chef, benihana is another fun place since you wind up sitting with a group of strangers and it's fun to play along as part of the group. But there is no benihana here and I am burnt out on sushi, so I opted for a riverside grill with a nice view of the snow and mounatins. They wouldn't let me order food at the bar (which is another lone diner tactic) so here I am sitting at a table for 4. Alone. I keep getting weird stares and I know people are pissed about their hour wait since I am taking up a table. I am half tempted to go back up to the bar and invite some people to join me and avoid the wait.
After dinner I have nothing to do, nowhere to go. My flight (if american doesn't cancel it) doesn't leave until noon tomorrow. This trip has been fun, I got a really great response from the group on my presentation. Met lots of nice people and even had a few job offers which is always good for the ego. What I really want more than anything is to be home right now. But thanks to the wonderful FAA or whomever is responsible for the airline mess I am stuck in oregon, alone and bored. The slopes close at sunset so no more snowboarding, the shops close at 6 so no more shopping. All that's left is the bars and clubs and I am just not in the mood to do that either.
Blah

On a lighter note, I ordered a baked sweet potato and I actually got a sweet potato and not a yam! There is a difference! Yum yum. I guess I'll go back to my sweet potato solitude now :)