When is it MY turn to have kittens?
Last summer I did a bad, bad thing.
"It won't be so bad", they told me. "You've never done anything like this before? Don't worry. It won't hurt much. You'll feel so gooooood when it's over, too. And we really need you, baby. Yeah, we just gotta have you. Please? Pleeeeeease? You know we'll still respect you the next day, yes we will. Come on baby. Come on. You know you want to. Come on. Just say yes."
And I gave in. I submitted to their will. I agreed to Chair a Mensa Gathering.
On the weekend of February 17th, about 80 Mensans from Eastern Missouri and other places will show up at a hotel in St. Louis, expecting to be fed and entertained and given a good time. And they'll expect ME to do it.
I've run various aspects of get-togethers of a similar size before. But I've never had to tie all the pieces together. It's a lot like Management, and, well, gee, I've never been a manager either.
But I had some really good committee members. The Registration Chair had done the same thing last year, and the Program Chair had planned the National Mensa gathering a few years ago (it was a huge mucking 1500-person convention). The Volunteer Chair was enthusiastic, and the Hospitality Chair has arranged the hospitality room for our little local gathering every year for the last ten years.
What could go wrong?
Ooof. Last weekend, everything.
I hadn't kept everybody in the loop enough. I hadn't made sure the hotel contract didn't change when the hotel's management did. I hadn't stroked enough egos and held enough hands. I'd just been bumbling happily along, content with what all these experienced people were doing and enjoying watching them work. And then -- suddenly I had one upset person after another to deal with, and it was ALL MY FAULT.
Well, at least only one person has actually quit the committee, although a couple of them threatened to. And, thanks to wonderful, talented LJers like dakiwiboid, reannon, and especially lefthand who gave me so many leads, I've been able to fill the schedule and put together a kick-ass program. Yeah!
elorden and bbwoof were already on the schedule, so this is definitely going to be an LJ affair. As if the Drahmah hadn't given that away already. (snerk snerk snerk)
I just want to know one thing. When do I get to throw a hissy fit?
"It won't be so bad", they told me. "You've never done anything like this before? Don't worry. It won't hurt much. You'll feel so gooooood when it's over, too. And we really need you, baby. Yeah, we just gotta have you. Please? Pleeeeeease? You know we'll still respect you the next day, yes we will. Come on baby. Come on. You know you want to. Come on. Just say yes."
And I gave in. I submitted to their will. I agreed to Chair a Mensa Gathering.
On the weekend of February 17th, about 80 Mensans from Eastern Missouri and other places will show up at a hotel in St. Louis, expecting to be fed and entertained and given a good time. And they'll expect ME to do it.
I've run various aspects of get-togethers of a similar size before. But I've never had to tie all the pieces together. It's a lot like Management, and, well, gee, I've never been a manager either.
But I had some really good committee members. The Registration Chair had done the same thing last year, and the Program Chair had planned the National Mensa gathering a few years ago (it was a huge mucking 1500-person convention). The Volunteer Chair was enthusiastic, and the Hospitality Chair has arranged the hospitality room for our little local gathering every year for the last ten years.
What could go wrong?
Ooof. Last weekend, everything.
I hadn't kept everybody in the loop enough. I hadn't made sure the hotel contract didn't change when the hotel's management did. I hadn't stroked enough egos and held enough hands. I'd just been bumbling happily along, content with what all these experienced people were doing and enjoying watching them work. And then -- suddenly I had one upset person after another to deal with, and it was ALL MY FAULT.
Well, at least only one person has actually quit the committee, although a couple of them threatened to. And, thanks to wonderful, talented LJers like dakiwiboid, reannon, and especially lefthand who gave me so many leads, I've been able to fill the schedule and put together a kick-ass program. Yeah!
elorden and bbwoof were already on the schedule, so this is definitely going to be an LJ affair. As if the Drahmah hadn't given that away already. (snerk snerk snerk)
I just want to know one thing. When do I get to throw a hissy fit?