Take Off

(to the Great White North)

There was a time, back when beers were still on deck, the night of Holyfield vs. Tyson II, actually, that in frustration we mounted a protest and decided to stay in on a Saturday night. About 10 of us, all friends of about 15 years, locked the front door. Wasted already 60 bucks on a pay-per-view that ended as the infamous “Bite Fight,” there would be no drinking in town that night. For once, at least.

But, in the garage, our host kept a separate fridge: one full of beers like Dre. had in the Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang music video. Angrily, I declared: “No one leaves until we drink the fridge!” My best friend looked at me — ice cold — and growled in a low tone: “Well, talkin’ about it ain’t gonna get it done.” Real talk… facts.

That’s where we are at — i.e. Apereo. Mixing up my musical metaphors, over to Elvis Presley, it’s time for a little less talk and a little more action. Despite that we spent Wednesday talking out our plan for the next 9 months. One thing I learned in sales at GS: if your already in a hole in July, you’ll never make your year in December. The struggle is real. The good news is, we’re not behind on budget here in March. But, the bad news is (and the reality of the matter): our fundraising goal is optimistic by necessity. Switching it up once again, to quote Animal House: “We need the dues.” You know what? Gen X had it really good. We really did.

ATO is focused on community. Open Source Summit is for business. SCaLE was the perfect blend of the two: serious people, serious conversations, and plenty of Ham radio content. The only problem was the ever-present Pasadena sunshine begging attendees to leave the florescent lamps and go sit outside. Thankfully, I kept my work/life balance in perfect check, which is to say, I didn’t leave with a suntan. Nor did I gain a FCC Registration Number. I joke, but I kinda want one. I think, if we hit our numbers, I’m treating myself to that.

Next up, the Linux event in Minneapolis (May 18-20). After that will be FOSSY 2026 in Vancouver (Aug 6-9). Departing from the Apereo home office in Albany, we (the Royal “we”) will be traveling by RV. NB, it will be me and my sales manager, a pitbull named Mike. I got him at the dog pound. He’s a tireless salesman. If your location falls within this below tour line up you might expect us to call. We travel with good intentions, good humor, and good coffee.

We’ll be seeing you soon.