• by Kelly Samardak , September 1, 2009

You're sitting in a lounge in White Plains, NY with an old friend because White Plains is the perfect halfway point.  There's a little karaoke, there's a couple weirdos, there are a lot of laughs.  You grab your bag because whoops, it's time to head for the train and get back to NYC.  You reach into your bag to grab your wallet.  It's not there.  Your first thought isn't "oh my god, my license, my debit card, my Social Security card (why was it in there in the first place)..."  For some reason it's "my train ticket was in there, how will I get home?"  The rest of the night is one hit after another as one officer from the White Plains PD scolds you for leaving your valuables out for the taking with the nonsensical analogy of "I wouldn't just put my gun on the bar and walk away!!"  As you snap back "my wallet won't kill anyone!" you suddenly realize that your camera, which you use for full time and freelance work, is missing too.  Oh wait, that wasn't you, that was me.

I'm a smart girl, I am.  I have never locked my keys in a running car, locked my keys in a resting car, left my apartment unlocked, mailed money to Nigeria, adopted a highway in Jakarta, or agreed to be a drug mule just once.  I have only been stolen from once, and it was the night of my 30^th birthday and it was the only lesson I needed to always keep an eye on my stuff.  So yeah, I had to go all the way to White Plains to get robbed.  The beauty part is, we're almost back in business.  MediaPost has ordered a new camera -- so within the next week I'll be capturing your beautiful and sometimes snarling faces just like before.   Thanks to the DMV license express in NYC, I painlessly acquired my temporary license, had a conversation with the guy that helped me about why Ohio girls are so awesome, and soon enough I'll have my plastic back in hand, and I'll be able to live outside my means once again. 

Just in time for Advertising Week.  I know!  It seems like only yesterday we were saying "phew, thank Bogusky we're still 5 months out."  And look at us now -- Nokia Theatre is breathing down our necks, panting with the lung aspirations of a million art directors.   Do you have your week nailed down yet?  If you need a little nudging, I know a few MediaPost events you should make yourself a part of (come on, I work here -- like I'm not going to support our own stuff?!)  Check out the MediaPost Live! at Advertising Week All Access Pass which includes all this stuff and you can grab yours here! It's more than a lot of bang for your buck  -- AND I'll be shooting most of it, so you'll be all kinds of famous.

Shuffled into all the day-to-night MediaPost stuff I'll be shooting, I'll also be hitting the Stars of Madison Avenue Luncheon and the AMP'd Up concert, The Social Media Society Launch Party, possibly The Big Ad Gig, Facebook's GenerationNext Wrap Party, and Night of The Ad Eaters.  You know more after-hours stuff will be popping up as we go along, and I'll try to let you know what I'll be skipping cheerfully into.

Prior to the week that suffocates us with all things advertising, I've got a great event to hit tomorrow night.  I'll be joining fun and fabulous folks of Uptown magazine for an evening of shopping, cocktails, and music at Saks, the store I can't even afford to get arrested in.  Based on the last party, I know Uptown will not disappoint. 

Soak in as much rest and relaxation as you can on Labor Day weekend! I will! I'll be in Swansea, Ma. for fishing, swimming, lobsterfest, Waterfire(in a gondola!), and eating more than I was built to handle.  Then it's back on track with the premiere party for "The Boardroom" (Candace Bushnell's new Web series) at Barney's.  What is with all of these parties at high-end department stores?  Is it OK for me to admit I've never even set foot in Barney's?  Well, now you know.  And knowing is half the battle.

Needless to say, with the smorgasbord of events looming, I am incredibly thankful that MediaPost acted fast on getting replacement equipment.  You all just mean that much to us. 

Send invitations to kelly@mediapost.com and get captured on the new camera!

See the photos big size on Flickr.