DHI CoNEXTions Conference 2012

The DHI Conference is next week, October 14-19, in Las Vegas.  Unfortunately I am unable to attend but feel it is important to still support my industry from afar. 

Last year I was lucky enough to go to DHI in New York City. Flights from FL to NYC were inexpensive and my BFF was going so we were splitting the cost of a hotel room.  This year door and hardware professionals from the West Coast will have an easier and less expensive time getting to the show in Vegas.  Either having the show at the midpoint of the U.S. or alternating having the the show on opposite coasts is only fair.

My BFF is still going and the cool thing is I will be able to follow along on Social Media (SoMe).  A lot of other peeps I have met through SoMe will also be tweeting, posting on Facebook and LinkedIn and probably Instagram so I will be able to see a lot of what is happening.  It won't be the same of course as being there as I will miss the Solution Sessions DHI is offering along with the Forum for the Future, always a great event. But through Social Media people at the show will have the opportunity to share what the door and hardware industry is all about, not only to those of us in the industry but to the rest of the world. 

My heart breaks every time I read an article about a fire that spread because a fire door wasn't in good functioning order or a person, without proper knowledge, left the door open for some reason.  DHI was instrumental in encouraging the IFC and NFPA to adopt annual inspections on fire door assemblies and certain egress doors and continues to educate and promote these new codes.   

As you walk through buildings start paying attention to any door marked with an exit sign.  Is the opening blocked in some way?  Is it chained or bolted?  If there was a fire would you know where to go and is there a clear path to the exterior?  These are all important factors in the continuing education to save lives.   This is one of the many reasons I support the Door and Hardware Institute because what they do matters and truly can save lives.  

Ok jumping off the soap box now :)  If you are going to the DHI show next week please leave your twitter handle or facebook link in the comments below so I can follow along.  Tag all tweets with #DHI2012 to make it easier for those of us in the industry to search.

As an aside I also want to congratulations Lori Greene as she will be receiving the DHI Fellow Award this year! If you don't know Lori she is a force in our industry.  Lori started a blog I Dig Hardware back in 2009.  She can untangle the mind boggling words of building codes and specifications into understandable language.  I use her blog as a resource, weekly if not daily. 


Remember what happens in Vegas, at the DHI Show, doesn't stay in Vegas.  Share the knowledge and have a great show!

New York City Part 2 - Kind of

In order to get to New York City from Florida quickly one must fly on an airplane.  I can tell you I am a terrible flyer so though I was very excited by visiting NYC and going to the Door & Hardware Institute Convention flying there had me shaking in my boots.  Really.

I have never been a good flyer and only when I was flying every two weeks to visit a long ago boyfriend did I become decent at it.  Not comfortable mind you but not gripping the armrests with white knuckles either.

With the economy the way it is I haven't flown in several years but I really wanted to go to New York so I knew I had to suck it up.  My flight was at 7:00 am which didn't give me a lot of the day to worry.  It did however leave the night before.  I think I actually slept a total of 2 hours.  I haven't had to use the little white bag in the pocket in front of the seat yet so I kept the meal before the flight simple.  Just a few sips of coffee and a few bites of dry toast.  Then the tears started along with shaking and all I wanted to do was cancel the trip.

I know this is a mental issue and I feel like a failure that I can't get my nerves under control.  That control word is the issue.  I don't like not having any.  Logically I know I am safer in a plane than driving to work.  Logically I know all the flight staff really want to get home to their families.  Logical doesn't somehow penetrate my fear.

The car I had scheduled showed up at 5:30 am thankfully.  I thought, excellent I will be at the airport on time!  Then the driver ran the stop sign at the end of my block and though we didn't hit the car driving on the cross street we came close.  The shaking started again.  In my head I just kept repeating in 4 hours this will be over and I will be in NYC, just 4 hours.  I arrived at the airport without further incident - breathing again.  Airport security at TIA was much simpler than I expected.  Everyone was very kind and helpful.  No long lines either.

Finally at the gate and everything was on time.  Breathing a little easier but still a large knot was tightly wound in my chest.  Board the airplane and was seated next to a guy with his head in his Kindle.  Perfect because I am not a chatter.  I am too busy flying the plane in my head to say hello unfortunately.  I am sure I miss meeting a lot of great people.

Let me also say that on the few occasions I have chatted with fellow passengers as soon as they find out I am afraid to fly I am told the most horrendous stories about planes crashing and emergency landings.  That doesn't help at all. If  you find yourself talking to someone who is afraid to fly tell them lighthearted stories about life please.

The plane started to taxi and the tears roll down my cheeks.  Thankfully it was the quiet tears and not the break out the ugly cry tears.  I gripped the armrests very very tight and held my breath pretty much for the entire 3 hours of the flight.  The flight was very smooth and we actually landed almost 30 minutes early.  I just wanted to kiss the ground but I didn't cause it must be really dirty.  I did send a silent thank you up to the universe.

I was meeting my BFF at the airport and had made a car reservation to pick us up.  My BFF had found another passenger on her plane also traveling to the DHI Convention and the same hotel so the three of us piled into the car and the driver did  a great non crazy drive to midtown Manhattan.

Before heading to the convention I desperately needed about an hour to just sit and work on unraveling the knot in my chest.  After checking into the hotel and storing our bags my BFF suggested lunch.  Oh thank goodness I thought!  It was only 11:00 but her flight was earlier than mine so she was hungry and now that I was safely on the ground I was ravenous.   It also gave me a chance to mentally talk myself down from a ridiculous set of nerves.

The return flight was basically the same except I was working hard to get an earlier flight out due to the incoming Nor'easter.

I would love to visit London, Rome & Edinburgh someday but I have no idea how the heck I would fly across the ocean but I know I can not let fear of flying ruin my love of exploring new places.

Next the DHI Convention.  

New York City - Part 1 of probably many~

Chelsea Market

New York City is truly iconic.  It is THE place where a lot of the world’s population wants to visit.   How I never visited in the first 49 years of my life is beyond me.  After 4 days visiting all I want to do is go back. 

How I finally was able to visit!  My BFF was debating about going to the Door and Hardware Convention which was being held in NYC and we had many conversations about it.  The day after my BFF and I had been discussing it my boss happened to ask about her.  I shared the dilemma and he said why don’t you go?  Not enough in the budget I said.  It is work related, I need to support you, put a budget together of what you feel it will cost, he said.  Really???  Holy cow I never even thought to ask because like many companies in the building industry afabco is financially conservative right now.  I found direct roundtrip flights on Delta for a very reasonable price.  DHI had negotiated 2008 room rates at The Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Midtown Manhattan, which I would be halving with my BFF.  Finally transportation and food, which is a bit more expensive in NYC than FL, but I felt pretty confident I wouldn’t spend a lot.  I hate to admit this but it took me a week to decide to take my boss up on his generous offer.  I knew I would need to spend personal money for clothes and travel supplies.  Plus I had planter factitious in my right foot how would I get around?  New York City is a walking city and of course there was walking the trade show floor!  Finally I decided this was an incredible gift and I needed to accept it. New York City baby!!

I am not a shopper, especially with such a limited budget, but I shopped and shopped finding the best deals. I insisted on buying clothes that I could wear in Florida too which was no small feat.   Coldwater Creek (online) and Sims (local) had the best finds! Shoes were very important since I had issues already so I paid full price for two pairs of very comfortable Clark’s shoes, one pair of heels and one pair of walking shoes.  What a difference a comfortable shoe makes!  Friends were also a wonderful source of generosity.  One friend let me borrow the perfect jacket – reversible – waterproof with a hood!  I wore that coat a lot!  Another friend had a great black cross body purse that would work wonderfully. 

Another wonderful part of visiting NYC was getting to finally meet a friend I knew from Twitter, Saxon Henry!  Thankfully she was available to have dinner during one of the nights we would be there. 

Like most exciting plans it seem to take forever to get here and then, bam!, it was time to pack!!  I laid out my clothes on the spare bedroom’s futon and put the 4 day wardrobe together.  I wrote each day’s clothes on post it notes so I would remember.  I really wanted to pack smart as I didn’t want to check luggage and after a lot of work ended up only taking two pairs of shoes.  Whoohoo! 

I made reservations for a car to pick me up at 5:30 am to get me to Tampa International Airport and another car to pick up my BFF and I at LaGuardia as that is where we would join up to start this incredible adventure. 

Next:  how much I really hate to fly but do it anyway because it gets me to incredible places like NYC!