Thursday, October 29, 2009

The corridors of power

... or at least the Sports Bar of Tourism. After a full day of travel, I arrived with my faculty colleagues and several students in Washington, DC for the NCHC conference.

It's good to get away. I was surprised by how free and energized I felt walking through the Atlanta airport. Outside the sun was shining, and having left behind forecasts for a two-day deluge and rainclouds hiding the tops of Little Rock's meager skyline, the glimpses of daylight felt like an illicit peek behind the curtain into an alternate universe.

All the planes were on time, and I got to try out my first airplane wi-fi on the second leg. (I used it to investigate a student's problem getting to a reading online, and inform another that she didn't manage to complete an application for a teaching assistantship.) Safely checked into our hotel in unexpectedly balmy DC, we all retired to the sports bar to watch the first few innings of the World Series game.

Tomorrow will be a long slog; I'm presiding at one presentation, assisting on another, and attending two more to support colleagues. We have a meeting with area alumni set up for the evening hours. I know I'll be happy to crawl into bed at the end of the day and breathe a sigh of relief.

But right now I'm relaxing and sending all my love home to Noel and the kids, battened down in central Arkansas. I'm already looking forward to being home, my sweets, but I'm going to make the most of being here.

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