I'm a Cold War historian/archivist/librarian so my extremely beloved partner has often been invited to conferences where I gurgled excitedly about panels on undersea cable tapping or Dublin Core updates. On the other hand, beloved partner is a musician and an amateur motorcycle mechanic. Would you like to hear All I Know Second Hand about Fralin pickups or Indian vs Harley? I think not.
My humble recommendation is this: If this is like the biggest fucking deal in your partner's professional life-- their World Series or Pulitzer or Betty Crocker Bake Off maybe combined with the senior prom-- and if this is a person you want to be with for the long haul, could you make an effort to go for the one-two most important night(s)? Probably the last two nights; I've been to the DNC & that's the money shot. That means you get to celebrate your beau's amazing professional achievements with him, be moral support during the crunch, get shown off as proof that your beau is capable of normal human relationships, and maybe get a teeny bit enthusiastic for a major part of his life.
If you are not thinking this is a long haul relationship- and that's fine! have fun and enjoy each other for now!-- then you are not obliged to make this effort so much, so long as you can be moral support from afar.
A key caveat to all I said above: if the reason you do not want to go is the risk to your mental health (panic in crowds, anxiety. or whatever) do NOT go! Your health and stability are precious and I certainly hope your partner knows that.
I was at Woodstock 99, but only as an attendee. Props to you for volunteering with the crisis intervention team - you were quite busy, I imagine, after all the crises I witnessed. Oh, the memories (mostly of mud and feces and fire).
As a Chicago native, it can be a fun city to visit. The Field Museum is awesome. The Adler Planetarium is great. The Shedd Aquarium is interesting. There’s lots to do. But if you don’t want to go, you don’t want to go.
I hate people as much as the next person, but I love to travel on other people’s money. Please send me on this work trip as a +1 to the outer reaches of wherever, for I am poor and will only get there via mooching! That is my philosophy! Here are my tips!
Find the weirdest museums you can find. Like I once saw a museum of medical devices on someone else’s money. Chicago has to have like a museum of bottle caps or rubber chickens or something. Then buy a shirt from it and wear it to non fancy events he is dragging you to! Take lots of pictures and talk only about the museum of decorative wax fruit sculptures!
Likewise, go on factory tours, preferably for foods or maybe yarn. Take pictures and eat samples. Describe this in detail as well.
Buy yourself a ridiculous dress up outfit from a weird little store. Hopefully with a big hat. Wear this to fancy events he drags you with.
Hit the booths and get free crap. They always got chargers and coasters and gum. Keep these for stocking stuffers for his family and white elephant gifts!
I honestly would go and do fun stuff and ridiculous stuff and only hang out when compelled. I’m serious about the factory tours and weird museums. I have had hella fun just picking a direction and walking around looking at stuff. Tiny museums rock, they have passionate people talking about their loves. Then I would just refuse to talk politics with anyone and probably you’d be a welcome break from blablabla about the convention.
Also great is holing up in the hotel room eating room service and watching Law and Order. I can’t see a downside, personally!
Ta, Sara. Chicago is indeed a beautiful city with great cultural attractions (not least of which, for me anyway, is that it's a museum of architecture). I hope LMSH enjoys whatever she decides to do.
Chicago does have some great museums and other attractions.
I’m just saying there’s lots of stuff she could do while her BF is networking and then hook up with him for dinner. Just because they’re dating doesn’t mean they have to be joined at the hip 24/7. I say, take the free vacay and do your own thing during the day.
As someone who has attended national political conventions (as a journo, natch), all I can say is that I understand where LMSH is coming from. But, it also reminds me of something wise John Waters said about bad movies: "Look at the lamps."
The Bard of Bal'more wasn't saying slip into catatonia (although I can see him offering that as a solution to other toubles). What he was saying was that if one chooses to be engaged with the world one doesn't need to give up who they are. If you like lamps, and you're watching an old movie that turns out to be a stinker, look at the lamps.
The beauty of this point of view is that you don't appear subversive -- heck, you're actively watching the dreck on TCM that your bestie thinks is better 'an Citizen Kane. BUT, you're TOTALLY SUBVERSIVE. You can't wait for the next cut, so that you can ogle the next set of lamps. Plot, dialogue, they don't matter. You're not worried; it's not like there's going to be a test or a sharing session on what the movie meant to you. For yourself, you're geeking out on what you care about while everyone *thinks* your into their thing. And you haven't, really, compromised at all. Or lied, or be false. You're true blue, and Rock-n-Roll at the same time. In your head.
National political conventions (particularly the Democratic version) are like the movies --- it's fun to just be there. Don't feign interest. Find your interest. If you're available, no one should say no to an invite like that -- someone else is paying! To turn down free fun on *anticipated* grief is just so very sad.
So, I say go. Do two things:
1. Set ground rules. If you're to take advantage of your proximity to "Un dimanche après-midi à l'Île de la Grande Jatte" you need your own time. National political conventions are ruthlessly scheduled, down to the nanosecond. 90 percent of the activities are easily hard pass. The final schedules will be available weeks before the first inch of gaffer tape is unspooled. Sit down and mark it out -- I'm going to this, I'm NOT going to that. This is when I'm Chinatown, this is when I'm at your catered affair hosted by that cigarette/handgun/pharmaceutical conglomerate.
2. Define your interests, for yourself. What are the lamps you'll look at? Food, fashion, bad plastic surgery, good plastic surgery, shoes, actual lamps, etc. etc.
Here's a truth and a suggestion, if it's not a trigger for you -- more than sex or money, the thing that gets passed around the most at national political conventions is FOOD.
There's no reason to go to a restaurant (unless your scheduled function is indeed in held in a restaurant) -- there is free food, and booze, from one end of town to the other. But, you need a convention pass to get in. The number of passes is finite and they aren't cheap. Sounds like you have one for the asking (more reason to say yes to this mess).
Convention planners always promise towns that oh yeah, you'll see business pick up with all these delegates, lobbyists, political pros, etc. Never happens. The conventiongoers stick to the planned events that some schmuck is paying for. The visit hotel room, dining room, convention hall, cocktail party, cocktail party, kegger, stein hoist, nightcap, hotel room (maybe.)
Last several election cycles, restaurants in convention cities actually closed for the duration of the conventions because their traffic went *down.* Locals head for the hills, and the conventioneers stick to the official convention events.
If you appreciate cuisine, then look for plating and styling. Eating with your eyes is fine. Can you believe they call that mush braciole!? Utility monopolies, dear diary, know from petit fours! Etc etc.
Final word, for now -- traffic, etc., those are problems for people *not* going to the convention. Delegate and staff busses get police escorts through town. If you go, you'll never meet so many people who say "right this way!"
American national political conventions are vestigial, needless, sideshow, made-for-TV non-events that, if someone else is paying, make a weekend in Vegas seem like month in Breezewood, Pa. (Look it up!)
I'm going to presume that this person is under the age of 30, because while the downsides mentioned are potentially annoying at their worst, the upsides outweigh them spectacularly.
She might actually meet some women in a similar situation to hang out with, she doesn't have to be attached at the hip to her man 24/7.
If you're of a 'certain age', the convention is just the 'work' part before the killer afterparties and 'hospitality suites' (aka: free booze smorgasbord).
I have been excused from this year's Pop Culture Association conference in Chicago for all of the above reasons as to why Chicago is not a pleasant placed to visit unless you absolutely have to be there, depending on the time of year. I've been in late May when it was lovely. I've been in late May when it was confused and thought it was still March and I was freezing my butt off the entire time. This year's PCA is in April, which is most likely going to be quite cold, and I'm a southern gal.
That said, volunteering at stuff like that actually is a pretty weirdly fun way to spend time. I'm now perma volunteer staff at several anime conventions and the weekend flies by while I slap 20,000 steps on my FitBit.
I didn't realize people went to Chicago for the weather. Just go for the pizza. Don't worry about the weather. People keep talking about it, but nobody every does anything about it.
.
You cruised right by the invitation's only critical element -- "I would have to accompany him to certain work events."
Performance demands on a trophy "wife"
Danger, Will Robinson, danger
.
I'm a Cold War historian/archivist/librarian so my extremely beloved partner has often been invited to conferences where I gurgled excitedly about panels on undersea cable tapping or Dublin Core updates. On the other hand, beloved partner is a musician and an amateur motorcycle mechanic. Would you like to hear All I Know Second Hand about Fralin pickups or Indian vs Harley? I think not.
My humble recommendation is this: If this is like the biggest fucking deal in your partner's professional life-- their World Series or Pulitzer or Betty Crocker Bake Off maybe combined with the senior prom-- and if this is a person you want to be with for the long haul, could you make an effort to go for the one-two most important night(s)? Probably the last two nights; I've been to the DNC & that's the money shot. That means you get to celebrate your beau's amazing professional achievements with him, be moral support during the crunch, get shown off as proof that your beau is capable of normal human relationships, and maybe get a teeny bit enthusiastic for a major part of his life.
If you are not thinking this is a long haul relationship- and that's fine! have fun and enjoy each other for now!-- then you are not obliged to make this effort so much, so long as you can be moral support from afar.
A key caveat to all I said above: if the reason you do not want to go is the risk to your mental health (panic in crowds, anxiety. or whatever) do NOT go! Your health and stability are precious and I certainly hope your partner knows that.
I was at Woodstock 99, but only as an attendee. Props to you for volunteering with the crisis intervention team - you were quite busy, I imagine, after all the crises I witnessed. Oh, the memories (mostly of mud and feces and fire).
As a Chicago native, it can be a fun city to visit. The Field Museum is awesome. The Adler Planetarium is great. The Shedd Aquarium is interesting. There’s lots to do. But if you don’t want to go, you don’t want to go.
I hate people as much as the next person, but I love to travel on other people’s money. Please send me on this work trip as a +1 to the outer reaches of wherever, for I am poor and will only get there via mooching! That is my philosophy! Here are my tips!
Find the weirdest museums you can find. Like I once saw a museum of medical devices on someone else’s money. Chicago has to have like a museum of bottle caps or rubber chickens or something. Then buy a shirt from it and wear it to non fancy events he is dragging you to! Take lots of pictures and talk only about the museum of decorative wax fruit sculptures!
Likewise, go on factory tours, preferably for foods or maybe yarn. Take pictures and eat samples. Describe this in detail as well.
Buy yourself a ridiculous dress up outfit from a weird little store. Hopefully with a big hat. Wear this to fancy events he drags you with.
Hit the booths and get free crap. They always got chargers and coasters and gum. Keep these for stocking stuffers for his family and white elephant gifts!
I honestly would go and do fun stuff and ridiculous stuff and only hang out when compelled. I’m serious about the factory tours and weird museums. I have had hella fun just picking a direction and walking around looking at stuff. Tiny museums rock, they have passionate people talking about their loves. Then I would just refuse to talk politics with anyone and probably you’d be a welcome break from blablabla about the convention.
Also great is holing up in the hotel room eating room service and watching Law and Order. I can’t see a downside, personally!
Ta, Sara. Chicago is indeed a beautiful city with great cultural attractions (not least of which, for me anyway, is that it's a museum of architecture). I hope LMSH enjoys whatever she decides to do.
Chicago does have some great museums and other attractions.
I’m just saying there’s lots of stuff she could do while her BF is networking and then hook up with him for dinner. Just because they’re dating doesn’t mean they have to be joined at the hip 24/7. I say, take the free vacay and do your own thing during the day.
My advice is take a little ZAZ with you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIMGuSZbmFI whether or not you decide to go
But then I recommend ZAZ for everything
I've signed up as a volunteer! And I read the Norman Mailer book about the 1968 convention as a warm-up.
But do you have your old-timey football helmet yet?
As someone who has attended national political conventions (as a journo, natch), all I can say is that I understand where LMSH is coming from. But, it also reminds me of something wise John Waters said about bad movies: "Look at the lamps."
The Bard of Bal'more wasn't saying slip into catatonia (although I can see him offering that as a solution to other toubles). What he was saying was that if one chooses to be engaged with the world one doesn't need to give up who they are. If you like lamps, and you're watching an old movie that turns out to be a stinker, look at the lamps.
The beauty of this point of view is that you don't appear subversive -- heck, you're actively watching the dreck on TCM that your bestie thinks is better 'an Citizen Kane. BUT, you're TOTALLY SUBVERSIVE. You can't wait for the next cut, so that you can ogle the next set of lamps. Plot, dialogue, they don't matter. You're not worried; it's not like there's going to be a test or a sharing session on what the movie meant to you. For yourself, you're geeking out on what you care about while everyone *thinks* your into their thing. And you haven't, really, compromised at all. Or lied, or be false. You're true blue, and Rock-n-Roll at the same time. In your head.
National political conventions (particularly the Democratic version) are like the movies --- it's fun to just be there. Don't feign interest. Find your interest. If you're available, no one should say no to an invite like that -- someone else is paying! To turn down free fun on *anticipated* grief is just so very sad.
So, I say go. Do two things:
1. Set ground rules. If you're to take advantage of your proximity to "Un dimanche après-midi à l'Île de la Grande Jatte" you need your own time. National political conventions are ruthlessly scheduled, down to the nanosecond. 90 percent of the activities are easily hard pass. The final schedules will be available weeks before the first inch of gaffer tape is unspooled. Sit down and mark it out -- I'm going to this, I'm NOT going to that. This is when I'm Chinatown, this is when I'm at your catered affair hosted by that cigarette/handgun/pharmaceutical conglomerate.
2. Define your interests, for yourself. What are the lamps you'll look at? Food, fashion, bad plastic surgery, good plastic surgery, shoes, actual lamps, etc. etc.
Here's a truth and a suggestion, if it's not a trigger for you -- more than sex or money, the thing that gets passed around the most at national political conventions is FOOD.
There's no reason to go to a restaurant (unless your scheduled function is indeed in held in a restaurant) -- there is free food, and booze, from one end of town to the other. But, you need a convention pass to get in. The number of passes is finite and they aren't cheap. Sounds like you have one for the asking (more reason to say yes to this mess).
Convention planners always promise towns that oh yeah, you'll see business pick up with all these delegates, lobbyists, political pros, etc. Never happens. The conventiongoers stick to the planned events that some schmuck is paying for. The visit hotel room, dining room, convention hall, cocktail party, cocktail party, kegger, stein hoist, nightcap, hotel room (maybe.)
Last several election cycles, restaurants in convention cities actually closed for the duration of the conventions because their traffic went *down.* Locals head for the hills, and the conventioneers stick to the official convention events.
If you appreciate cuisine, then look for plating and styling. Eating with your eyes is fine. Can you believe they call that mush braciole!? Utility monopolies, dear diary, know from petit fours! Etc etc.
Final word, for now -- traffic, etc., those are problems for people *not* going to the convention. Delegate and staff busses get police escorts through town. If you go, you'll never meet so many people who say "right this way!"
American national political conventions are vestigial, needless, sideshow, made-for-TV non-events that, if someone else is paying, make a weekend in Vegas seem like month in Breezewood, Pa. (Look it up!)
I'm going to presume that this person is under the age of 30, because while the downsides mentioned are potentially annoying at their worst, the upsides outweigh them spectacularly.
She might actually meet some women in a similar situation to hang out with, she doesn't have to be attached at the hip to her man 24/7.
If you're of a 'certain age', the convention is just the 'work' part before the killer afterparties and 'hospitality suites' (aka: free booze smorgasbord).
I have been excused from this year's Pop Culture Association conference in Chicago for all of the above reasons as to why Chicago is not a pleasant placed to visit unless you absolutely have to be there, depending on the time of year. I've been in late May when it was lovely. I've been in late May when it was confused and thought it was still March and I was freezing my butt off the entire time. This year's PCA is in April, which is most likely going to be quite cold, and I'm a southern gal.
That said, volunteering at stuff like that actually is a pretty weirdly fun way to spend time. I'm now perma volunteer staff at several anime conventions and the weekend flies by while I slap 20,000 steps on my FitBit.
I didn't realize people went to Chicago for the weather. Just go for the pizza. Don't worry about the weather. People keep talking about it, but nobody every does anything about it.
I'd totally go and have a blast doing stuff while my BF did his work.
21 years — She still doesnt like separate vacations, but i do.
This IS SHAF! Good Look Sara!