I Forgot My Umbrella and it's Raining!
There is nothing I love better than a good "dose" of Active Rain! Mind you, a "dose" usually involves taking a couple hours to catch up on all my daily Rain Drops e-mails I've saved and have not read yet, or catching up with my friends in their own real estate worlds. But, it appears some of these friends have beat me to the punch in doing a RainCamp Review. Fine. Be that way. But you've been warned!
My first RainCamp experience happened before I even GOT to RainCamp! I got yet another e-mail talking about this upcoming event in Charlotte. So, I checked with the CFO of Thomas Ramon Realty. Well, actually, I kinda walked into his office with this depressed look on my face, and asked, "Can I go to RainCamp in Charlotte, next week?" After a couple rounds of how I'd save money on expenses, approval was granted. So, the first person I felt needed to be advised was my main Charlotte squeeze, Debe Maxwell. Now, I can't type the reaction with the same enthuesiam, but it was kinda of a squeal, followed by a "I'm so excited! You're coming to RainCamp." Yikes, how was I to know I was going to have THAT kinda of affect on Ms. Debe! That was my first experience!
So, Wednesday comes. After a quick trip to the Dollar Store for snacks, my bags were packed. Yes, bags. THREE of them to be exact!
My briefcase with laptop. My second briefcase with all this work I just knew I would stay in my hotel room that evening and get done with out interruption, and a third bag with necessary items like toothpaste, socks, shirt and jeans to name a few.
With XM radio tuned to my favorite dance channel...I was off to see the city! A quick 3.5 hours later, I arrived in Charlotte. Now, we all know what's at the end of a rainbow, right? No, silly, NOT a pot of gold.......it was.....
My evening of work was quickly shot down when Debe just insisted that I must attend the Wednesday night pre- networking event at Strike City in Uptown Charlotte. (This event can also be referred to as "You'll have a slight headache on Thursday morning, but you'll get over it.") There...came the new friends. And REAL rain. Well, at least back in Atlanta. So much so, that it closed the Atlanta airport for some 6 hours! Do you KNOW what that does to air travel? Just ask Bob Stewart? I mean, how often do you fly from Detroit to Charlotte, and get pizza on the runway in Chattanooga, TN?
Ok, on with the story. So, Thursday morning comes. Yep. Right there. Front and center we are. And me...right between my friends Debe and Pamela St. Peter of Raleigh fame. And my new found AR friends Christine Donovan and Steve Shatsky were just down the way! Next to them....Jeremy Blanton! On the other side of me, Craig Rutman! And behind me, Amy Shair, Melissa Brown and Eleanor Warren Thorne! Who needs an umbrella when you are surrounded by the likes of these peeps!
But then it started. Raining. First, just a little bit. Ya see, the internet connection went into overload. I guess it was not ready for some 100 computers all at one time. So, being unable to Tweet, Twext, Face or Post....I was reduced to actually paying attention and taking notes.
Oh, but before we get to that good stuff (well, only a tidbit....I'm not giving away ALL the good stuff at one time) it finally happened. Yes, after being "ON" Active Rain since 2007...it finally happened. There he was. No longer just a picture on AR, or the new family member of one Missy Caulk. He was IRL -- In Real Life -- THE Bob Stewart! Darn! Was I suppose to get an autograph or something?
Oh, yeah. The story. One Ben Kinney takes a mic....and away we go. The list of notes with highlights in red (things I need to do or review" began. And it went from "Just Do It" to 212 Degrees.
What did I learn? That a blog post needs pictures, and should not be to long so as to lose your reader.
To Be Continued......
Comments(11)