This week in Gotham, the industry held its 12th Annual Electronic Discovery and Records Retention Conference at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel on Central Park South. Luminaries from top ten mega-lawfirms and giant multinationals graced the silver carpet into Essex's grand ballroom for a tech Ho-Down.
I was invited to join my company's directors in attending the cocktail hour, where we had a booth to display large screens offering native review in Korean and Japanese. I met up again with friends from the past - Dmitriy (my Yoda), now at Debevoise, Jason (once a vendor-Business Partner, now at Metlife in Long Island City)... and made some new drinking companions in this strange, wild world of litigation support technology.
Our company later sponsored a dinner for clients and friends at Shelley's Trattoria, on 57th near the hotel. The wine flowed freely. The seafood was crisp and light: calamari, and I again tried some pan roasted scallops, even finer than last week.
A client from Texas and Jason from Metlife became fast friends, swapping southern stories in slurry drawl; Dmitriy and I caught up on 3 years of living...Patrick's side of the table kept drawing more and more staggering folks over to discuss fantasy football - we were all eager for a good time.
I also had my review this week, that same night actually. Earlier in the day, I receive a rather cryptic email ordering me to show up at my boss' hotel room for my review. My boss' hotel room? For my review? Good thing she's a girl!
The room was modern and sleek and elegant, with theatrically dim lighting hidden strategically behind borders around the room and cast an interesting purple glow about that reminded me of Star Trek - The Next Generation.
Review went well - I get along with my coworkers, my technical background helps me talk to my clients good, and I have won my clients respect....my division director introduced me as the latest Rockstar of her group, and I was relieved.
I turned into a pumpkin early in the evening, too high heels, too much wine, not enough real food, and an early day at the office the following day. Jason from Met took Metro North home, fell asleep on the train and went way beyond his stop all the way to the end in Connecticut - took a cab to his car, which ran out of gas at 2 am...and he was back at work at 8:30. Patrick fared similarly.
Headache all the next day, blistered feet from a night in 4 inch heels. All of us decided not to attend the b-Disco monthly industry bar night the following evening.
The week quieted down much more on the social front, although I met up with a friend for shopping in Rock Center where he was to advise me on which suit to purchase (this is my kind've metro-sexual friend that I mentioned earlier). His good news: new job came through. Even in this stunted economy. I guess the suit and shoes and colonge from France really were a good investment. I didn't buy anything that night though, we just talked about life. Rockefeller Center opened up the ice rink early this year - skaters and tourists twirled below the giant art deco square and danced beneath golden Prometheus. Soon, Christmas will be coming, we're all feeling it.
Tomorrow, it seems I've got the weekend to myself. I'm thinking of going to a cool steampunk-themed faire called the Grand Chrono'nauts Tea, in Carrol Gardens. Daily Candy suggests "think Jules Verne-inspired trinkets and top hats with petticoats" - the sci-fi version of the Victorian Era. Sign me up.
Also, I have to get ready for my first houseguest. One of my close friends, a curator, will be attending the International Print Fair next week, and I have to find a blowup bed for her to sleep on.
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