I can live my life again!

Yes, finally...like a huge burden that fell off my chest, I am free to live my life again. I can see my kids again. I can talk to my friends again. I can answer all those missed calls again and SMS-es I didn't have time to reply to. I can finally even tell my parents I had this huge event, since I didn't have time to do even that, to tell them why I can't answer their calls.

Okay, since people have been asking me how it went, let me just say it was a HUUUGE success, it went great, it was fabulous, fantastic, awesome.... Even the CEO from our HQ company who is a even greater perfectionist than I am, showed me a thumb up from the stage and said: "respect, Tanja". And my boss heard words like "What you put up here is incredible".

But the way to that huge success was filled with hard work, sacrifice, fear and in some moments: panic! So let me tell you...

One day before the event-friday, we had a meeting with the tehnicians, and we weren't finished till 11pm, so I told myself, never to schedule it so late. Since, as I came home, I couldn't sleep, since I went through every single detail of it again.
Oh, and was really worried for a technical part, since one presenter had few movies running directly from powerpoint, which is always risky.

Anyway, a day before the event, I didn't sleep much. I fell asleep at cca 2 and at 2:50 some jerk rang at my doorbell (the building door that is) and woke me up. Grrrrr.... so I didn't sleep at all and at 6:30 I was in the office again, picking up some CD's and DVD's.
And it wasn't just me who didn't sleep... when I realized I couldn't sleep at 1 am, I wanted to call my boss to remind him to bring something, and in that second I get an SMS message from the IT man, to bring a mouse for the laptop. No one slept.


The event had to start at 10:00 am. At 8, there was no technician to see (and I had a team of ca 20 people only for the technical part). Grrrr... Then they came and the fun started. Just when we put all the cables together, there was a short power loss in the conference center building...but luckily it was just for a second.
Heh.
The laptop we were supposed to run all the pp presentations from started to play crazy. Although everything worked out perfectly the day before, nothing suddenly worked. No signal from the laptop- no picture on the wall.
WTF???

So, I had these technicians dealing with it, and my boss asking when we'll be ready to start. It was a quarter to 10. What should I tell him?
You don't wanna know, so I won't bug you I told him calm. We're dealing with it.

Don't ask me what went through my mind though. No picture on the wall- no presentation from the guests. No presentations- no event. No event- oh....don't get my mind going.


Anyway, as we realized this laptop was crap, we ordered another one (laptop number three)! and luckily it came just in time to move all the folders to it, and adjust the resolution and everything. So, we had a picture on the projection wall.
Okay, the worst part was over. So I thought.
Then I'm being told that the power loss had frozen the projector.... omg.
Luckily, they solved that fast too, so we were ready to go, 10 minutes late, but well, okay. We're ready now.
We opened all doors, put some special lightning effects, music and let them in.

We're rolling.... the show begins.

Intro video...huge applause....the moderator.... the speech of our CEO...his presentation....few other presentations....videos.....performers....all went smooth. I watched the audience and I was satisfied. No one seemed bored. A beautiful a capella song from the dalmatian group just before the lunch break. It was fantastic!
People greeted me on their way out to lunch, gave me compliments, and the CEO from Germany seemed ok as well.

Only the timing was a bit rescheduled, since everyone exceeded his time given. We had to cut the lunch break short, and started the second part on time. That meant I had no time to rehearse the second part of the event with the technicians, but well.....


The other part was even a better success than the first part, since it was more dynamic. We had a stand up comedian opening the second part, even I had to L-O-L since she was sooo funny.
Few great videos and some musical performers who sang a duet from "Grease". It was awesome. Not to mention the finish, when we promoted some people, had a 12l bottle of Moet&Chandon, some great music playing real loud and the whole audience giving standing ovations.... it was p.e.r.f.e.c.t.

Well, since I'm a perfectionist, I'm aware of some tiny details which I will make different the next year. But for the people watching, it was just faboulous. Everyone seemed motivated and happy. Which was my goal. To fill people up with some really nice and strong energy. Everyone helped me on that way.
My boss seemed satisfied as well, he came to congratulate me and thank me (although I messed up his part a bit, cut out some slides from his speech, since it was too long and we didn't have time to go through it). But it was okay. He did really great on stage.

At the end, we had this two singers singing "Time to say goodbye", champagne on stage for all the VIP's and it was just beautiful.

Anyway...came home....dog tired, empty....all the adrenaline gone and just tired. I just hugged my child, was really happy to see him, since he was so patient, and so kind... and so gentle to me.
I asked him if I can just go to bed...and he went with me and lied still next to me, didn't talk much, although he wasn't sleepy at all. I am soooo proud of him. I have no heart telling him mommy is leaving on wednesday for 6 days. And then again. And then again and again and again. Luckily I have this fantastic girl as my nanny which I plan leaving him with.
She is like an older sister to him, but also firm when she needs to be. Unlike when he stays at his granny, he always seems balanced after he spends time with her.
Well, today is a new day, sunny day outside, and I can finally live my life again.

I am very very grateful to all my friends, especially my friends from SL, who have been very understanding, and very very kind to me. Who have crossed their fingers and thought of me yesterday. When everything seemed just black, I thought of you, and I felt you thinking of me, which helped me through the darkness. I am really grateful for that, and really thankful for having you in my life.

It's those moments, you know who's a friend, and who's not, not those glorious moment when you're being celebrated and congratulated on a great event... it's that dark moment, just before the light shows up.
And the darkest moment of the night is usually just that one short before the dawn.

Thank you guys for being my friends!