Event Planning

I am not saying that I am the single greatest living event planner.  Oprah is pretty good at what she does.  The American Idol people have stretched very little talent into the consciousness of millions of people.  The various professional sports leagues do well in gathering large crowds and keeping them from demanding more from their governments.  Still, I am good at planning events.

I am very willing to say that I am an organizer.  My desk is tidy.  My home is neat.  The special events I plan have a purpose and I have a system in place to manage them and the people who are part of them that is efficient.  Behold readers the Excel template I use to manage the special events I organize:

#	First Name	Last Name	Company/ Organization	Email Address	Attending (Y/N/M)	Date They Confimred Attendence	Date I Replied to Their RSVP	Remarks
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Yes, I realize that the table above breaks the formatting of this page.  Deal with it.  If you're not good enough with a computer to translate this into your own Excel spreadsheet, I am sorry to say that you may not be ready to wield the awesome power of this incredible event management system.

Conquering

I am on the hunt for a place to call home.  I do not have a lot of money.  What I do have is creativity and burning desire to own, not rent, but own my own place to live.  

I have thought about a house boat but a lot of other people have had the same thought and while it might be possible to rent a slip/ mooring* that would be less expensive than an apartment, I have heard some really awful stories about the upkeep costs for owning a boat.  Plus, the difficulties in maintaining a first world lifestyle aboard a boat are fairly significant from what I can imagine, i.e. how does one shower in fresh water when the marina is icky, do boats even have showers, where does the stuff go when the toilet flushes, etc.  I would have the pride that comes along with actually owning something in the boat.

My previously secret weapon in the struggle of the middle class is the website consumerist.com, which provides consistently good information aimed at consumers trying to do their best in navigating the complexities of the current world in which we live.  This post contains the following thought provoking passage regarding the future of now empty retail space available all across the United States: 

Could they [empty retail stores] become the suburban version of the factory loft apartment? We've seen old schools, churches and office buildings turned into condos and hotels, but we expect the whole lack-of-windows thing might be a roadblock to converting an old Borders into deluxe living quarters.

Maybe they should be converted into paintball arenas? 

While I like the suggestion of transforming empty retail spaces into paintball arenas because it suggests that someone or several people would be able to make money from otherwise unused space, I would like to see it go farther.  How about space for an interactive experience with live actors that takes place in the warehouse?  What about such an experience that involves a digital element with players using their smartphones to interact with the game and keep score against other players?

Showering on the go:

If you don't have a shower, you might try using Witch Hazel.  Pour some Witch Hazel over a washcloth while nude or semi nude in the relative privacy of a bathroom and rub all over your body.  Hopefully, you should feel a little bit cleaner by the time you are done.  Also, you might consider bringing a small bottle of shampoo to wash your hair in a bathroom sink. 

*I don't know what the exact nautical term for a boat parking spot is, which might indicate that I am not in the best position to actually own a boat.