So. I’m at The Amazing Meeting.
Travel is always interesting. The lines were long at the airport, but Maury and I were randomly selected to go in the TSA fast lane. It was awesome, we didn’t have to take off our shoes, remove our liquids/gels from the luggage… check in was super fast.
However, we couldn’t sit together on the plane. According to the bold print on our tickets, we couldn’t swap seats either. I was holding my breath, hoping I wouldn’t get sick while traveling. Maury’s pretty good at helping me out when my newly redesigned digestive system runs amok, but I hoped I could manage to sitting many hours before I could stretch my sliced abdomen, walk, and get everything feeling OK.
Luckily, Maury was able to chat with a kind Delta employee and she swapped seats. I was impressed. (Luckily my body handled the travel OK.)
Lastly, we got totally lost in the Vegas airport, but somehow managed to find a shuttle to backtrack and get us to the hotel bus before we lost that reservation.
The hotel is gold. Very, very gold. The decor is quite… boisterous. I figure the entire city of Kandiyohi would fit in the ground floor of the facility. At 25 floors, it’s definitely taller than any building anywhere near my home.
Vegas is quite noisy. Everywhere I look, I find people… and even more fellow TAMmers arrive every minute.
Ah, but we’re at TAM.
If you recall, I had reservations (ha) about my skeptic conference experiences. They may have been unfounded.
I’ve met a few Skeptic Ink writers. Rebecca Bradly is AWESOME; Wendy Hughs is a hoot; Vandy Beth Glenn is downright elegant. I feel like a hick next to these refined ladies, but I’m able to stumble through our conversations without too many crazy foibles. I’m looking forward to meeting Ed Clint and speaking to Jacques Rousseau a little more as the weekend unfolds. 🙂
Crazy moment of the day: I was wandering the TAM reception area and James Randi greeted me. He just walked up to us and said, “Hello.” It was surreal. He’s quite handsome. We had a short conversation. Turns out, he’s quite awesome.
I didn’t take a picture. I guess some moments aren’t meant to be captured on film… I didn’t want to cheapen the experience by turning it into a photo op. My memory of meeting him is enough for me.
In fact, I haven’t broken out the camera yet. I’m not sure I will because I’m enjoying myself too much.
While I’m truly enjoying myself, a part of me misses the crunch of gravel under my shoes. I miss my uncomplicated days. I miss open windows, cool breezes, and my dog’s cool nose. I miss silent solitude, allowing thoughts to roll around my noggin.
But those days will return again. In the mean time, I’m polishing my portion of the Skeptic Ink presentation. My long suffering husband is probably tired of my talking shop, but I guess that’s his cross to bear… for now.
Greetings from Vegas!
