Small World

I know I said I wouldn't update often, but it turns out if I stand by the window I can pick up a connection from a condo across the way, so I'd rather not get bottled up on the posts if I don't have to. Plus the sun doesn't come up until noon here (feels like), so when I wake up at 5am, I figure I might as well make myself useful.

me with the Exuma Grouper crew
Paula & Doug

So where were we? Sunday's excitement was that I was pleasantly surprised when a couple I knew from the Luperon anchorage in the Dominican Republic came to see my presentation. I hadn't realized that they had left the Caribbean - they were out much longer than we were - or that they were from Toronto, but they've taken a temporary detour as well. Like us, they're hoping to get back out there (to the Caribbean). Unlike us, they still have their boat so will jump back on it eventually. (Yes, that photo is a cut/paste jobber - Doug looked bored in the 1st photo and Paula had her eyes closed in the 2nd - Thanks Doug, that was much better - sheesh).

Yes, even Jesus was just staring at me.
 (classic South Park)

Not only was it nice to see them, but it came in real handy when after the seminar, I asked that question again - Any questions? - and that dreaded silence stretched again. As my mom pointed out, they're scared to speak in public too (they have no problem talking to me after the show), but that doesn't help me when I'm standing there feeling like a moron, so I was quite relieved when my old pal, Doug, asked a few to get the thing going (I'll approach it differently the 3rd time). This group hadn't been as interactive as Saturday's, and I don't think I was as good as I had been the first day either, but none of the slides screwed up this time.

me and Barb Saturday

Afterward, I spent a little time at the book booth and ended up chatting it up with three guys who had already bought Idiots, but either hadn't read it yet, were 1/2-way through, or had read it already. What was cool was that the guy who had read it already had it on ebook and went and bought another one just so I could sign it. The man who was in the middle of the book said I looked better in person than the book cover. I suggested I was older and he said actually I was hotter. Oh! Well, in that case it's probably because I can wash myself with more than a cup of water. I don't think I sold more than 3 books while I was there, but it was fun talking to people. Overall, the book is selling well, so Nautical Mind thinks they'll sell the entire stock they brought. Cool.

Doug was manning a booth for the Toronto Multihull Cruising Club so I wandered over there eventually and then got introduced to someone who might turn out to be a good contact to have in the future, so the networking portion of the trip (one of the main reasons I came) is working nicely.

When I came back to the hotel, I decided to treat myself to a beer at the bar (they don't sell beer in regular stores or even gas stations, so it's not easy just buying a six-pack and going up to the room). I was hoping my "free" money would pay for it, but of course, alcohol was not included. That meant I paid almost $9 for a stupid beer, but then had a nice conversation with a young guy (late 20s) who had been presenting for quite some time. He admitted he was really bad at it for awhile, but now considered himself pretty good. He also had started his own line of clothing in Michigan and was a pretty amazing artist (oh, and he dabbled in something else on the side - that was an interesting conversation).

I never did walk around the city, but I did get a quickie drive around with Doug & Paula. Yep, it's a city. Interesting that they have the longest street in the world (Yonge St) - 1,178 miles!

One more day!