I've been attending Macworld Expos on and off either as a civilian, booth worker or reporter since the early 90s. And I have to say, I've never, ever come out of a show so bitter, angry and burnt out as I did this one. There were several precipitating factors that really set me off this year.
First of all, I haven't been feeling at the top of my game, mentally or physically, for months now, and traveling 3000 miles and living out of a suitcase never helps. Now, I wasn't sick during the show, mind you, and thank God, I've avoided trade show diseases this year -- the first time in a few years that's happened. But combining mental "blah" with physical "blah" and add the hardships of a week of trade show living -- irregular sleep, long days, irregular eating -- and it adds up to making you feel like you've been put through a meat grinder.
Secondly, on Monday morning at 7 o'clock, I got a call from Bonnie to let me know that Emmeline had gotten in fairly serious trouble at school. The trouble ended up getting her suspended for the day -- the third such suspension she's had since the beginning of December. I spent almost the next four or five hours calling in the cavalry, as it were -- putting in phone calls to all the various services and personnel we've enlisted for help in the past to make sure that all the safety nets for Emmeline were in place. Ultimately, things worked out -- we had a big team meeting with the school yesterday, and our side of the table had everyone we needed on it, but it was a frenzy as we got it together. But that put my whole week into a tailspin I never quite got out of, alas.
For the past few years, the first "real" day of the show -- Tuesday, when Steve gives his keynote -- has been a blur to me. I typically spend most of the day in our offices, a few blocks away on Second Street. In years past I've been responsible for posting the live update coverage we do. I was free of that encumbrance this year, but I still wrote news stories that needed to be combed over and revisited a couple of times. So Tuesday was, in effect, shot for me until about 3 or 4, when I finally made it down to the show.
The next few days were a blur -- a blur of meetings, posting news, meeting people, after-hours events and all sorts of busy work that I know I participated in but don't quite remember doing.
But what I do remember of the show wasn't that spectacular. There were a lot of interesting booths and vendors with interesting products, but the MacBook Air really doesn't float my boat that much, so Apple's big announcement wasn't exactly a stunner for me -- especially given the pretty reliable indications prior to the show that this was what Apple would announce.
I was bitterly disappointed by the games area. I'd voiced criticism last year that I know was mirrored by what some of the game vendors thought, and frankly hoped that it might effect some change, but I guess I'd overestimated my ability, or others' interest in improving the situation. I'm still pretty bitter about the whole thing.
All in all, this was a pretty miserable show for me. There were some bright spots -- seeing Jim, hanging out with Shawn and his crew on Saturday morning and having our hair done by a master barber, seeing my father and getting to watch Adam and Jamie from Mythbusters, for example.
But if you saw me and I was in a rotten mood, it's probably not your fault. And if it is your fault, well, thanks for nothing.