What's Good for One Business Might Not Be So Good for Another

Before I tell you today's most excellent story, allow me to clarify: the above picture has nothing to do with the story. I just like the picture, part of a new movement I've decided to found called Art on the Spot. How the piece came to be: I was at this cool new space, The Snug, which is adjacent to and owned by Tom's Tabooley, and they had those little battery operated candles. I couldn't stop playing with them, pretending to blow them out and then unblow them out. And then, as I was holding two together, I thought, These look like eyes. So I got out my iPhone (RIP Steve, couldn't have made this art without ya) and googled mouth and then I put the whole thing together and, voila, I know I know-- I'M A GENIUS!! Now it's your turn. Email me your Art on the Spot masterpieces and I'll post the winning pictures here. (email: spikegillespie@gmail.com).

Now, as for my story. So, last night I went to an open house at a wedding venue. This is a chance for me to meet other vendors and schmooze with engaged couples to convince them they must hire me. It was a bit of a slow night so there was plenty of time for me to chat with the other vendors. A woman and I were talking about how, once you do a certain number of weddings, it can be really hard to remember names. How true this is-- I think I must meet at least 4,000 people a year through weddings. Okay, not meet them as in have a conversation with everyone, but meet them as in my head keeps filling up with more and more and more faces.

I told the woman that I reached a point of such confusion-- not just at weddings but in my day-to-day life-- that once I walked right past my son in a restaurant. Not only that, but it wasn't a random run-in-- I had a date to meet him. (In my defense, I like to point out that my son was wearing a hat at the time and, best as I can remember, the last time he'd done that was right after he was born. So the hat was a red herring or whatever.)

I told this woman that I was toying with an idea to help me avoid constant confusion. Maybe I could use my iPhone to snap photos of couples when I meet them so that when I see them again for their wedding-- sometimes as far off as a year later-- I'll actually be able to identify them. And the woman says... I shit you not... That's a great idea! My gynecologist does that! Really? Uh, I don't think I want to see those pictures. (Well, at least she didn't say it was her proctologist.)

Speaking of conversations at weddings and wedding related events, at long last I have started a blog to reveal pictures and stories about my job. Because, you know, I didn't have enough blogs already. You can check out the latest offering right here.