Running into an XMarker

[mkmound]

This week I'm at an industry conference (for those in IT, the SHARE conference -- user conference for IBM customers). I've been kilted all week (as an aside, I'm just now collecting enough of the different pieces, like hose, to get close to that). On Monday, a guy stopped me in the hall on a break and introduced himself -- Verlyn -- as an XMarker. We had a nice chat over lunch. Haven't seen him the rest of the week, but several of my friends have seen him kilted a day or two.

I also ran into a second guy on a break on Monday (in the restroom) who said that he'd decided that if he saw anyone at the conference in a kilt that he'd wear his (and I encouraged him to do so). Since I was getting ready to present, and guys tend not to chat in the restroom, I washed my hands and left. I later realized that I hadn't even stopped to meet him. My friends also mentioned that they'd seen him kilted. I ran into him again in the hall today; he said he'd worn his Utilikilt. I invited him to join us here.

Kilts Rule!!!

Regards,
Mark

[Sherry]

How nice to run into fellow kilters.

[Big Paul]

Very good! Thanks for sharing! It's always good to meet our kilted bretheren!

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

I am waiting for the time that I run into another XMarker!

[GMan]

You can run, you can hide, but running into another Kilted gent is great, especially if they are from Xmarks.

Glad that you did.

[Verlyn]

Mark, it was absolutely great running into you at Share this past week.

I had worn my Ireland National on the flight out and got nothing but positive comments. The only negative was that my boots had so much metal in them, I had to take them off at the security check and they appoligized for making me do it, but it was policy. In fact, on one section of the trip, the guy in the seat next to me commented I must be the most comfortable man on the plane.

Never having been to Share before, I didn't know what to expect, so I wore pants the first day. Imagine my surprise when I saw another kilt wearer and to find out that he was an Xmarks member. We chatted at lunch, but didn't see each other the rest of the conference. I decided to wear the two kilts I brought the rest of the week. I won one of the drawings for an iPod and my co-workers said it must have been the kilt. I got a lot of "awesome" comments form people at the conference and in town. Lots of questions about the kilts I had and the boots. Several "very classy" comments. I met an old high school friend and we went to Kells where I saw the only UK of the week there. You kid into the punk seen that gave me a thumbs up when we walked in.

Several of the presenters talked to me during the breaks about the area I worked in; I guess you notice a kilted guy in the lecture. During the week, the only negative was from some drunk bum on the street. Quite the experience for me.

Hopefully, Mark and I can organize a more formal time during the conference.