AAJ Convention Night 4 Up the Down Elevator
I'm late. I toss on some white jeans, go down the elevator and run across the street to the other hotel. The first reception is for Mary Alice's campaign. It looks like a party planner did it. There are big vases filled with blue, white and green M&Ms in honor of her official colors. You'll be proud to know that I resist the urge to grab a handful. Ah, the temptations. It is bright, airy, filled with food and laughing people. A friend and I decide to go check out the competition's campaign party. It is across the street. We are a bit biased, but it is in an odd room with low ceilings and so seems a bit less exhuberant. There are lots of people and we find ourselves chatting with two attorneys from Oregon - we're trying to out do each other with our boasting of our respective fine states. All in good fun. By now I'm really late.
I go up the elevator, and change into a slinky long black dress with a bold graphic on it that looks like a spider's web. Kinda like a black widow. Which is fitting, because under my picture in my highschool yearbook instead of listing my accomplishment it says: "for the female of the species is deadlier than the male". Anyway, I go down the elevator and rush around looking for the bus. There is no bus. I'm not sure where I'm going. The door guys don't know where I'm supposed to go. I go up the elevator, find the program, forget my badge, go down the elevator and grab a taxi. Get out and am at the Public Justice reception.
They are starting to go into dinner. I run and look at the silent auction items --naaah. Greet the two tables of lawyers and guests that we have, pay homage to Paul Stritmatter who is not only the rock of our firm, but is getting PJ's champion of justice award. Eat salad, break out my flip recorder, ask for vegetarian meal. Chit chat. Hug and kiss Gerhard (because he's so Gerhardish). Eat now cold vegetarian meal. Watch antics of auctioneer. Flip Paul getting his award. Pick at little desert things, which are mainly yucky but I like the little puffs in the citrus pudding or whatever they call it. Listen to trial lawyer of the year award presentations with awe. Clap loudly when the award is given to the solo practitioner from Texas who took on a corrupt jail system on behalf of a dead inmate's family. Say goodbyes. Share cab with people I don't know back to hotel, learn a little about them. Go up elevator. Take off shoes for 10 minutes. Put shoes back on. Back down elevator run across street.
Up elevator to international practice section reception. Find person who asked me to come. Meet his girlfriend. Find out they saw bears from the gondolas when they were at Whistler during the day. Talk a little business. Chit chat with the outgoing AAJ President. Walk past piles of desserts without giving in. Down elevator. Run across street back to hotel. Up elevator. And the rest I'm not telling you.