Re: [AGA-sc] San Jose Report

[Kathy Olson <kathy@thekrib.com>]

The  AGA might need to rent a car for you guys to go out and 
explore....not much help on the local stuff though...

I hear the ADA shop is in town though...Aqua Forrest.

On Sun, 3 Sep 2006, Karen Randall wrote:

> Thanks for the update, Erik!  It sounds like it was a productive and
> uplifting meeting.  Just reading about it got me more excited again, rather
> than, "Oh, God, we've GOT to pull this off!!!"
>
> I am a little concerned about the situation with Tom.  He had agreed to take
> Troels, Ole and me (as host<g>) out collecting, and now is not even
> returning direct e-mails.  Fortunately, since Cheryl had his telephone
> number, I can try to call him today.
>
> If he can't/won't take us out, we've got to arrange something else as
> entertainment for those guys.  I know Tom has taken people in the Bay Area
> club out before.  maybe we can get one of those to help us get to the
> locations.  I suspect Troels and Ole don't really NEED Tom to tell them much
> about aquatic plants once we get there ;-)
>
> In fact, even if Tom DOES still agree to do it, it might not be a bad idea
> to have a back-up pesron who knows the locations and has a car.  But I
> didn't want to bring this all up on the general list, have it get back to
> Toma dn cause another kerfluffle.
>
> Karen
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Erik Olson" <erik@thekrib.com>
> To: <aga-sc@thekrib.com>
> Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2006 2:30 AM
> Subject: [AGA-sc] San Jose Report
>
>
>> Met with Jim L ("convention chair"), Michael LaFlamme (my little helper),
>> and Chuck Rambo (my SVAS contact, ACA bigwig, and local Bay Area Mole) at
>> 3:30 in the hotel before heading off.
>>
>> Michael's wife is lending us a nice laser printer (HP Laserjet 2200).  I
>> tested it with the auction computer and it works great.  We will be able
>> to use this for printing incidentals like walk-in badges or signs) as
>> needed through the weekend, and also for auction receipts on Sunday.
>> Very cool.  She also has access to seven LCD projectors, so we could get a
>> backup that way.  Chuck said he could bring the SVAS projector as well.
>> Nice.  We need to remember to get a 25-foot VGA cable, though (Larry, do
>> you have access to that one I bought for you guys?)  (Karen, please bring
>> your projector regardless, if you can!)
>>
>> Transferred 75 pounds of A/V and auction gear to Michael, where it'll sit
>> in storage until November.  Nice load of my stress level.
>>
>> Went off to the meeting, where we were joined by Leon Garden ("Field
>> Trip") and Karleton ("PR guy #2").
>>
>> Leon imparted the info I have now mentioned in the other e-mails about
>> there being 60 tickets available, but that there are only 50 bus slots.  I
>> do remember him saying there might be more like 54 bus slots, but let's
>> shoot for 50).  Discussed the minivan plan.  Reiterated that he has all
>> the snack stuff taken care of.  Jim has volunteered to tip the driver and
>> be the FT headcounter guy/chair.
>>
>> Leon also re-iterated his Krombholz-like desire to return to the
>> Chattanooga-style auction where everything was silent and the items got
>> stuffed into bags and picked up at the end.  Boy, he dislikes those live
>> auctions, and having to surrender his driver's license.  (Do we have to
>> make them surrender their drivers license?)  I explained that this was all
>> well and good when we had 1/5 the amount of stuff to sell, but there just
>> was no way we could pull this off anymore.  He was mildly impressed that I
>> at least had the silent and live auctions tied together on the same
>> system, and that we'd be using a computer rig that at least one person was
>> familiar with (not to mention a spare hard drive with a backup image of
>> the entire auction database machine that can be installed in virtually any
>> laptop if something happens to the main system).  He's still not
>> convinced, but we agree to disagree.
>>
>> Discussed at length why various people were going AWOL.  Always amusing to
>> hear the responses:
>>
>>   Skids: Talks big, then shies back.  Michael L was just plain embarrased
>>          about the whole "We're going to make a GREAT bid!" posturing.
>>
>>   Bill Harada: Pissed that we're not letting volunteers get in the talks
>>      for free.  Apparently off sulking.  (Sorry, this chronology
>>  doesn't make sense, as he stopped participating long before we had
>>  the stupid thread with Gomberg.)  Later heard he was also sulking
>>  about not having his stuff used, whatever that means.  Kareleton
>>  will ask him about making a large poster and/or program blowup
>>  for registration area.
>>
>>   Gomberg: Everyone was asking about who would be Gomberg's "keeper".  Jim
>>  had some interesting perspective on PAM from the perspective
>>  of an old-timer local...speaking of which...
>>
>>   Jim: Did you know Jim was a member of the AAGA?
>>  Check out TAG V4#4, page 114... I pulled it up on my archive DVD!
>>
>>   Tom: Apparently Tom has stopped returning e-mails from SFBAAPS folks.
>>  He is alienating every forum and mailing list one by one. He also
>>  is now working for UC Davis.
>>
>> Iron Aquascaper challenge will be entirely handled by SFBAAPS folks.
>> This seems to be a mutually agreeable idea: I think Jim really wants
>> SFBAAPS to handle at least one aspect of the convention, and to me nothing
>> important hinges on the Iron Aquascaper part.  They can have fun with it.
>> Jim (and perhaps Karleton, who took lots of notes) will insure that they
>> have equipment, materials, and people.  We brainstormed some pretty cool
>> and funny ideas to include, include sport-announcer commentary,
>> American Idol style bickering amongst the judges, tag-team handoffs
>> mid-scaping, "And now, representing the Dallas-Fort Worth Club,
>> Laaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrry LAM-PERT!".  I suggested at least one joke
>> material such as a plastic castle be included in the materials.  So we'll
>> see.
>>
>> Jim has offered to also handle buying of hospitality food/beverage if
>> needed.  Those in the know could perhaps advise?  (I had no idea, because
>> I have no experience in this area.)
>>
>> Meeting started.  Talk went pretty good.  Happy to see their wireless
>> system (more expensive than mine) crackles and buzzes something awful.
>> Caught myself turning my head and getting my voice cut off many times --
>> I'm one of those bad speakers who does that!
>>
>> We got a couple of people offer to volunteer as runners or reg helpers.
>>
>> Several folks said they're coming, so I think we might see 5-10 hotel-less
>> walkins from SVAS.  (We'll have to decide how stringent we're going to be
>> about the club affiliations.  I would suggest we drop the requirement for
>> anyone who volunteers as a runner or reg helper from one of these other
>> clubs.)
>>
>> As I mentioned elsewhere, Chuck Rambo wants to put up fliers, so we need a
>> flyer.  Good timing from Kirsten on conheads!
>>
>> I really found it good to talk to the guys face-to-face.  I really wish
>> there was a way for all of us to talk to all of them this way.  Try
>> explaining to someone in e-mail how we just can't let everyone who
>> volunteers in for free vs. explaining this calmly to them directly,
>> letting them explain their point.
>>
>> Jim asked me point blank "Why do you do this?"  (a statement that says
>> much about the local club/forum/slacker/whatever mentality more than
>> anything I could come up with).
>>
>> I had to think about it... I said that I personally do this because I like
>> working A/V an putting together the disks, but I wasn't really sure
>> anymore.  Later on during the plant swap, Jim started talking excitedly
>> with another member about one of the bags, showing how he grew it
>> under certain conditions, but this other one he never really had luck
>> with, etc etc.  It was then that it hit me the real reason.  I love
>> hanging out with all these plant geeks, talking this stuff for 3 days
>> straight, seeing a hundred other people just having a good time doing the
>> same.  It's very hard to remember why, when everything's all clouded up in
>> these layers on layers of planning, stress, and beaurocracy, but once we
>> get in that Hospitality room on the 9th and start bagging auction
>> plants...that's the reason.
>>
>>    - Erik
>>
>> --
>> Erik Olson
>> erik at thekrib dot com
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