It's a sprawling, distributed affair that requires loads of communication across many fronts in order to stay afloat. It concluded a few days ago, and I've laid relatively low in the meantime, gathering my wits with gardening gloves. Despite my current double-vision and hazy gaze, I wanted to jot down a few notes before they slipped from my memory.

What we did right:

• Started early. According to my email records, we got started planning this business in December 2011. 
• Added more team members. Last year's BSW consisted largely of myself and Ryan Wanger. This year, we added Elaine Ellis (on PR) and Sarah Jane Griesemer (on scheduling). If I were going to run 2013, I'd add even more folks.
• Flew in more people. One of the big imperatives of BSW is to drive acquisition of tech talent. There are so many open tech jobs in Boulder that we decided to gather as many sponsor dollars as possible to fly in candidates with the hope that they'd fall in love with Boulder and move here. It's happened before. Last year we flew in 6 folks. This year we flew in twice that number. Shall we double it again next year? Yes.

What could use improvement:

• Moar shirts. I made quite a few enemies after ordering only 200 shirts this year. Sorry, all.
• We need to be a little meaner to people to ensure that the event's purpose(s) are kept in mind. Being a pushover is fine if you're hovering above a ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese. It's not fine if you're hovering over an alligator pit. Mo' backbone at all times.
• Better RSVP system. We used Plancast this year and last year. It's easy, but it lacks a few items. I'm sure the team will track down something solid.

I wish I could say that I'll do everything I can to make Boulder Startup Week 2013 even better. I can't. I'm moving to Amsterdam and have left the event in other people's hands. However, I'm absolutely certain they'll bring the flava to your doorstep, drastically increasing the property value of your abode.

If you made it out to Boulder (or out of your house), thank you. If you didn't, circle the month of May on your 2013 calendar. Boulder wants your bones.

Here's a photo of me speaking at the University of Colorado's School of Journalism and Mass Communication Fall '11 Commencement. (It was a few months ago, but I finally managed to score some photos -- long story.) I asked the young graduates to raise the roof with me one last time. It was the dumbest thing I've ever done, but I have opted to live without regret.

Did I mention that the ceremony was at Macky Auditorium? Haven't been on that stage since the last TEDxBoulder (which is returning to Boulder on Sept. 22). Gorgeous venue. Huge venue. It dwarfs all.

Having skipped my own commencement back in 2007 because I was too cool for school, it was wonderful to have finally put on a cap and gown. I wore my tassel on the wrong side, but I'm legit enough to own up to it (and not reverse these images before posting them). Live and learn.

Ignite Boulder

I'm totally biased, but it's totally the best event of the week. Blend public speaking with public geeking -- that's Ignite Boulder. It's sold out, but if you managed to grab a ticket, please come to the front of the stage and say hello.

BoulderBeta 3.0.7

Easily my second favorite event this year, it's not to be missed. Local startups demoing their newest efforts, an iPad giveaway and lots and lots of geeks. 

The Art and Science of Caffeination

This is hosted by my favorite cafe owner *at* my favorite cafe -- Atlas Purveyors. I'm delighted to have something out of the ordinary during BSW. This will be marvelous and jittery.

Speed Bootstrapping 101

The Boulder Chamber is putting this together, and it's going to be rad. I'm honored to have them involved with the week, even though I wore a hoodie to my first meeting with them. (Sorry, folks!)

Kickoff Party with Trada

Trada throws a fine party, and this is their second year in a row hosting the opener. I might breakdance or float serenely above the din whilst sipping a DRY Soda.

MADE Movement and the American Manufacturing Renaissance

Some former colleagues of mine have started a new agency with a fascinating focus. I confess I don't know much about the state of American manufacturing, but I'm eager to get schooled.

Closing Party: Geek Field Day

Quick Left is one of my favorite local companies. They do amazing, amazing work and so I'm stoked to see what they came up with for BSW's closing party. There is nowhere else you should be on Saturday night.

I am moving to Amsterdam. My remarkable girlfriend Stephanie was offered a dream job there, which she accepted with twinkling eyes and dancing toes. I will be joining her because I can't bear for her to be alone there, being wooed by unsavory Dutch lotharios.

I'll be here until early June, so all my commitments will be heroically fulfilled. But if I squeeze your hand a bit harder the next time we meet, it's because we may not do so again for a while.

If you have marvelous connections in Amsterdam, please let me know. Every adventurer needs allies.

To refresh your memory, my old face:

And here is my sweet, sweet face after a 30-day mustache march:

A bit more close up. Gasping is fine.

The still-sparse side that never grew in completely:

And the impossibly more burly side that I refer to as "The Grotto."

It was a hoot. I like the color of it and it was fascinating to watch it fill out. However, it totally made me look way old. I'm not quite ready for that mess. Thanks for your support, my dearest Mustache Militia. Perhaps we'll play this game again in November when it's trendy to do so. 

I plan on heading over to the Newton shop in downtown Boulder in a few hours, where I'll try them on and see what the scoop is. I understand that Newton espouses a different style of running than "normal" running. Something about striking the ground with your forefoot instead of your heel. 

I don't know much about all this, but if I can pull off wearing bright yellow shoes, it will be gamechanging for people who say things like "gamechanging."

Since I live in Boulder, I have many friends that run. I would like to join them, but running bums my feet out a bunch. They hurt, yo. A couple years ago, I went to the Boulder Running Company and picked out a pair of Nike Zoom Nucleus MC+ shoes after having my stride recorded and analyzed:

I confess they haven't gotten as much use as I'd initially intended. Lately, I've wanted to run more because the weather's nice again and the birds are chirping obcenities at me from the trees. I wish the shoes I'd picked were a bit lighter. They feel bulky. Thoughts or recommendations?

I did a few searches to see what sorts of things would quicken my mustache pace (B vitamins, getting lots of sleep, buying more socks), and one of the articles mentioned that eucalyptus oil (if applied to your face) would make it grow faster, bigger, better, stronger. 

I put some on last night before bed and awoke to... nothing. And upon application, I recoiled from the smell (which is a rare blend of smelly feet and yummy mint). I figure I'll keep putting it on each night for a week and see if growth hastens on the sides of my mouth (where I'm patchier).

I should also point out that I picked Pharmaca's version without consulting the internets. It was $4, dude.

My beard grows in pretty nicely. I've never given my mustache region the chance to shine, so I decided to take advantage of a recent bout of influenza to try it out. Thirteen days later, here's the progress:

This part on the side is pretty sparse. I am calling it the Dead Zone:

This side is a bit better. I am calling it the Grotto:

My plan is to give it a full month before determining if I was meant to rock a 'stache. Please make fun of me in the comments.

I was just sent a shiny red Nintendo 3DS, and I'm totally losing my mind over it.

I haven't owned a dedicated, portable gaming system since I had the original Game Boy when I was a kid. A big rush of old, old memories flew at me as I set it up, and I'm truly amazed by how far portables have come. It's bright, very quick and almost as sleek as my hair. 

I don't have any wicked games yet, but I played this built-in game called Argames that uses Augmented Reality and special cards to allow you to shoot dragons. I'm very familiar with AR, but I was truly smitten with Nintendo's play on it. As a dedicated World of Warcraft player (Be nice!), I'm always up for a chance to battle a dragon.

Anyway, I'm about to head to South by Southwest for a week, and the Nintendo 3DS is coming with me to keep me company at the airport and on the plane. Perfect timing. If you've got one, feel free to recommend a game or two.

Disclosure: I'm one of Nintendo's delightful brand ambassadors and was provided the item described in this post by the company. I also gave it a little smooch.