It's a dry heat

Arizona in October. Autumnal is not the word anyone would use to describe it. The high temperatures are in the 90s, you have to keep hydrating all day or risk splitting headaches, and even in the evening short sleeves and short skirts are comfortable.

Not that you get much of a chance to go outside at an event like this. I left my hotel room at 6:30 am in order to get a Starbucks drink across the street before the conference breakfast buffet opened, and that was the last time I set foor anywhere other than a meeting room, hallway, or bathroom until after 4 pm. It was one of the fullest days I've experienced at any conference I've ever attended, national, international, regional, disciplinary, or Honors. And it was a productive day; my presence meant something in nearly every session, whether I was presenting, supporting friends and colleagues at their presentations, doing committee work, or voting on official business.

I'm not sure today will turn out to have been the least stressful day of the conference; tomorrow my colleague and I need to make sure we're fully prepped for the workshop we're leading, and then Sunday morning we have to execute that plan. That's the longest session of sustained responsibility of the trip. But I'm ready for a little more balance in my day -- regular meals, time to check e-mail occasionally, maybe even work on some of the tasks I brought with me. As it is, today's nonstop sprint caused me to lose ground on some of the things I have to do every day, meaning there's even more to squeeze into the last few days of the trip. Luckily the unscheduled time should expand as the weekend goes on.