APD

Ag Progress Days is my favorite event of the year. 3 fun-filled days of balloon grabbing kids, candy hording parents, and some of the most bizarre people and questions you can imagine. you're missing out on a good time if you've never experienced the joy that only comes from QT at APD.

i don't know what it is about fairs and conferences - but people just want *stuff*. free stuff. doesn't matter if it's a pen, a sheet of paper, a balloon, or an ant-infested hard candy. if it's free - they want it. and they want it enmasse. they scavenge - pretending to be interested in your projects. one year, a lady tried to walk away with our little 50 cent glass candy dish! last year, someone tried to take a baloon decorated paper weight used to keep brochures from flying off. This year - someone tried to take my new nalgene bottle (lost one hiking and got a yosemite one to replace it)... it was half filled with water.

It's bad enough that we are giving out balloons... 1300 of them in total many of which will ultimately land in some poor animal's digestive tract... but even worse that the kids want not one... but two.. and if you give them two, they want three. then they lose one and come back for *more*.

and then come the questions...questions like

"so what's this mapping all about?"

or

"what are you mapping?"

or

"tell me about this geospatial database."

i guess it's hard to not associate GIS with "people who just make maps" cause that's what people know.

ehhhh.... i give them credit for seeing words they don't know and trying to put together coherent sentences and questions... it just isn't always vocalized in a sensible way. and then comes the challenge - how does one begin to answer such questions?

ah - with another question! perfect. "please tell me exactly what type of mapping you are interested in? what poster did you get the word geospatial off of and what would you like to know about it? What project are you interested in?"

When I ask such questions, pointing is always good. They can point out what text they read - on our display. i can begin to respond in a way that i hope makes sense...

my favorite question of the week came from an older gentleman, that came in on a walker. I saw him as he began his 20 minute approach. He could hardly move - each step slow and deliberate bringing him inches closer to our tent. I felt for him until he opened his mouth... his words were almost spiteful.

Enter Old Man:

Him: So what's this AgMap business all about?

I proceeded to explain to him what AgMap is. it's a website by the way the provide free online marketing (a web page) for agricultural businesses and free searching for consumers...

Him: Oh, so it's based on the computer? I don't use computers.
Me: yes, it is but you can also get someone to help you with it if you need help. Or you can use a public computer if you don't have one. I'd be happy to show you how it works.

Him: so wait, this AgMap thing doesn't work if it's not on a computer?

Me (biting tongue while smiling - i'm so talented.): Yes, that is correct, a website only functions ON a computer. And you need internet.

Him: Only on a computer? Well that's stupid.

I smiled - still biting tongue.

Exit Old Man.

I know that there are some people who genuinely would like to learn and be exposed to new things. But if this demographic was at all represented at APD, they must have been lost in line somewhere waiting for some sort of fried red-meat and onion caked mayonnaise sandwich with fries...

yea i guess i'm a bit grumpy after dealing with this for 3 straight LONG days. there were some up sides to the week... like stir fry and corn for lunch every day... yum. hanging out with chaya all day, each day outside. cool people staffing the booth so we could commiserate. mike's new ducati - so sweet.

give me a little credit for surviving the entire week, swallowing and responding to the dumbest of questions, and smiling all of the way through it. a girl's gotta vent. more on cali, and my awesome visit with E & G to come (MISS YOU GUYS!! especially the late night talks - .cough. TRUTH EXISTS .cough.) ... i have 2 billion quadzillion pictures to sort through first!!!