As I walked onto the show floor yesterday, the first things I noticed were some really cool garage doors. Apparently these things work the same way as traditional garage doors, but they look a lot nicer than the plain white doors you see on most homes. There were two booths really close together: Amarr (7309) and Taylor (7401).

Something else I noticed: A lot of the regular door companies out here have some flippin' HUGE doors in their booths. Now, I'm a pretty big guy (6' 4"), but I felt like a Munchkin walking around these things. It's actually a pretty good strategy, I guess. Gives you a good idea of the detail and the overall look of the doors. Plus, with the tradeshow being as big as it is, the doors don't look so huge until you're right next to them.

Something I was a pleasantly surprised to see was the number of online services and software companies on the floor. It seems that contractors are really taking hold of the new technologies that are available to them (which is somewhat reassuring, seeing as how I work on a website).

Oh, and something else I was pleasantly surprised to see was the composite decking systems are looking better and better. I was accustomed to seeing the plain brown-gray boards of the past, but these are looking a lot more like real wood. And that has me interested in getting something for my own house.

Oh, and I got to do something REALLY cool yesterday. I got to ride a Segway for a little bit. Didn't really take it out and put it through its paces, but they let me stand on it and move around a little. If you ever have a chance to try one of these things out, do it! It's an experience unlike any you've ever encountered.

(By the way, I figured out what I forgot to pack: neckties. I've been able to wing it, but I feel woefully underdressed. Oh, well --- there's always next year.)

See you later.
-Ralph