February 14, 2008 by Chris Harrower, CTIS.

If you’re reading this, you’ve landed at the last post about the recently completed ABA Marketplace in Virginia Beach. The Wordpress blog software lists these messages in the order they are posted, so you’ll need to jump down the page if you want to read these in the intended order!

Scroll down to the posting named “So Much To Say, So Little Time”, then read back to this one. Or just read ‘em through backwards, if you don’t want to be bothered with all that jumping around. Some things might not make sense at first, but either way, you’ll experience the highs (and lows) of ABA.

And yes, I’ve still got ABA Fever… does anyone know what day registration for Charlotte, NC opens? I want to be online about 15 minutes before it opens, hitting refresh, so I can try to be first in line again!

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February 14, 2008 by Chris Harrower, CTIS.

Now the one everyone has been waiting for. Just how did they talk me into that extremely ill-fitting Indian costume? Ah, therein lies a story…

When I heard about Charlotte’s closing night 70’s theme party, I went and talked to John White, our national costume coordinator. I told him I need something 70’s to wear. He gave it some thought, and had two comments. #1, we had never done anything set in the 70’s, so it would not be easy to do. And #2 (after looking me up and down), he said, and I quote: “Oh, honey…the seventies were so not your decade!” And he was right…having survived them once, I was in no hurry to go through ‘em again.

So I figured I’d just go without a costume. After all, plenty of people don’t do the costume thing. Even though I work for a theatre, I thought I could get away without one. So I packed an extra shirt and tie, and figured I’d just lay low. Emi was flying home that morning, so I’d be going in without my usual wingperson anyway, and probably wouldn’t stay (given memories of last year, I didn’t really want to stay. It just would not have been the same…don’t ask!).

The evening before, at the CTIS graduation, Michelle Jennings asked if I had a costume for the party. When I said no, she asked if I’d like to join her group, as they had a costume for me. I asked what they were doing, and she said it was going to be the Village People, and I would be the indian. Now, understand something…in the pantheon of 70’s groups, the Village People would come in dead last on my list. I never liked them, and I thought YMCA was one of the most irritating songs ever recorded. Sure, we can all do the hand motions, but we can all also do the line dance for the Electric Slide, so it’s not a major skill item here!

But I know Michelle, and Pam, and Jennifer, and the rest of the troop, so I said “what the hey!”. I would meet Pam the next afternoon, after appointments, and pick up the costume. She was on the same floor of the Doubletree, so it would be easy. And there I was, the next afternoon. And there it was…and it was too small (what a shock, eh?).

We talked about it, and decided to give it a shot. After all, just the headdress wouldn’t be enough. After all, I’m such a team player. After all, the word “no” doesn’t cross my lips very often when it’s friends. After all, enough with the after all’s! So we fixed the sleeves to make them longer, put it on, and headed down in the elevator with Pam (the sailor).

In the lobby, we met up with Jennifer (the cop) and Michelle (the construction worker), and waited to hear from the cowboy and the motorcycle guy. And the laughter began…especially when Kim and Danielle walked through. And the pictures started…seemed like everyone wanted their pictures taken with the Village Idiots…er…People. We rode the shuttle over to the Convention Center, and waited some more. Thankfully, they played YMCA while we were at the other end of the lobby, so we missed that humiliation!

And, to top it all off, we weren’t even finalists for the costume contest. Some people with us said we should storm the stage and force a vote, but that wouldn’t be proper. I’m sure Donna had a reason for not picking us, even though the people who won were more 60’s than 70’s. But it’s not “sour grapes”…we had fun, attracted a LOT of attention, and ended the week on a high note. And I learned that, no matter what, I’m “a good sport”! Whatever that means….

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