Post-Conference Exhaustion

After 3 days of nonstop talking, thinking, laughing and drinking, I am back from my conference.  I had a wonderful time but there was absolutely no down (alone) time.  For an extreme introvert like me, that can pose a bit of a problem.  The five hour solo drive home was a welcome respite.

I spent time with friends, colleagues, and students I see frequently as well as with friends I rarely see.  I presented a paper and a poster.  The methods in my paper were a hit and I was complimented on the topic of my poster.  I sat through very few presentations but the ones I saw sparked new ideas and great conversation.  I ate amazing food and drank sangria. I also saw art. My favorite was a street exhibit of Niki de Sainte Phalle's work.  I walked past it the first day and had to keep returning.  Unfortunately it was taken down yesterday.  Below are some images of The Three Graces.

Here we all are hanging out with the sculptures.

There was also this cool bike rental system.  The only problem is that is is BYOH (Bring Your Own Helmet).

And how can you not love the lions?

Family Festivities

Last weekend we headed north, to the City of Sisterly Love, for my sister C's wedding.  As you may (or may not) remember, C and K (her betrothed) had asked me to officiate.  After only a smidgeon of web-based fanfare, I became the Reverend Doctor Brigindo.

Friday afternoon I headed south to pick up Angel.  Unfortunately I did not fully grasp the particulars of Labor Day Weekend traffic on a Friday afternoon and the trip time doubled in length.  It was well worth the stop-and-go because I got quality time with Angel all weekend long.  We've always been a family that travelled together well and road trips are a particular favorite.

In between all the traveling, Angel was picking out a road bike for The Journey of Hope ride that he wants to complete this summer.  Saturday morning was for test riding the bikes and then we all hopped in the car for the 8-hour drive.  Driving with Angel necessitates more food stops than driving with just b.

We reached our destination, checked into our fabulous hotel, and promptly went out for more food. The next morning I walked through the old section of the city snapping photos.

I am not a wedding person but this one was truly perfect.  It took place late Sunday afternoon in a beautiful historic townhouse.  It was a small, intimate affair with around 50 guests.  The bride was stunning in a champagne dress.  It was mostly a homegrown wedding.  The bride's daughter was her Maid of Honor and also arranged the centerpieces.  Our 10 year old niece was one of the bridesmaids, as was the daughter of my sister's good friend.  Our nephew was the ring bearer and K's niece was the flower girl.  K had both his sons standing beside him as Best Men.  One of his son's read a selection from The Odyssey and the other was taking pictures throughout the day.  Both mothers selected and read poems.  In addition to K's son, both my niece's friend and b served as photographers.

As for my role as officiant, I feel I filled it well.  I dressed all in black (black dress with long coat and I even wore heels for the occasion) and read from my iPad.  C & K had given me general guidelines on what to say but left how to say it to my judgement.  I think I hit the mark.

After the ceremony, there was much chatting and catching up.  I spent the evening with my sisters and my grown niece and nephews.  It is amazing to see them all now as adults: still adorable but a lot more sophisticated in both their humor and their thoughts.  The grown nieces and nephews went out bar-hopping afterwards and the rest of us hung out in a hotel room, gossiping and analyzing as we like to do.

The next morning we picked up C's old car that she was donating to Angel and drove back south with Angel following us.  When we finally reached SouthLite, we headed straight to the store for Angel to get his bike properly "fitted."  He drove his bike home in his new old car and b and I went straight to bed.

Life Lists

I've been thinking about life lists (or the more depressing version - bucket lists) lately.  I've never had an official one but I've always had things that I knew I would eventually experience or accomplish.  I've been thinking about what is left on that list lately.  I think a combination of (a) acquiring tenure, (b) being an empty-nester, and (c) passing that dividing line between early forties and late forties, has initiated a mini-mid-life crisis.

Also the opportunity has arisen for me to join b on his epic adventure this summer.  If you recall, b will be driving clear across country to The Last Frontier.  There he will meet up with a good friend (he's gone from 9 interested companions to one friend who was never part of the original group) and paddle the Inside Passage.  Because of the change in group membership, he will be able to leave earlier and paddle faster.  This means he will be off the water in enough time for me to meet him there and drive back home across the country together before my semester starts.

Yesterday I developed an itinerary for the homeward drive that has us going through parts of Canada I've always wanted to visit and seeing some of the major national parks.  This is a trip I've always wanted to do but never knew when or how it would happen.

I am very excited.

But it has also gotten me thinking about life lists.  This will be one I can cross off of my non-existent list.  Below are some of the other items I could cross off right now (in chronological order):

• Getting my black belt
• Becoming a mother
• Getting published
• Getting a grant
• Finding my life partner
• Getting my doctorate
• Becoming a professor
• Traveling abroad
• Buying a house
• Getting tenure
• Watching a birth

There are a few things that are still on the list but the possibility of them occurring is out of my hands:

• Dancing at Angel's wedding
• Becoming a grandmother
• Helping Pumpkin give birth

There are one or two things that are in my control that are definitely on the list:

• Writing a book
• Hooding my doctoral students

Other than these things, I have no clue what should be on the list.  Sure there are things I've thought of doing or places I would like to go, but none of them really seem important enough to make a life list.  Is this a good thing?  It is great to have accomplished/experienced so many things that are important to me but the thought of living without significant possibilities or goals ahead of me is a little depressing. I feel like I'm in a similar spot with Angel right now--we're both trying to figure out what we want to do with the rest of our lives. 

Emerald City

Emerald City was food, f

un 

and 

friends (and discovering my latest addiction: hot power yoga!)

Off To See The Wizard

The Wizard of Oz was an annual event in our home.  Watching it reminds me of the days when certain shows were only available once per year.  The Wizard of Oz and Mighty Joe Young were Thanksgiving events.  The Ten Commandments happened only around Easter.  It's A Wonderful Life was aired the week before Christmas and Christmas Eve. Now, of course, you can watch shows and movies pretty much whenever you want.

There is still something to be said for waiting for a classic.

Tomorrow I leave for Emerald City.  After the semester I've had, I need a little trip to the wizard.  I need to believe again.

I'm going with my favorite colleagues and one of my favorite students.  There is a conference in Emerald City where  am sure I will learn new and wonderous things but more importantly I need to travel a far to realize there's no place like home.

Eating In Diners

Whenever I travel back to the City of My Birth I try to eat as many of the foods that cannot be replicated in SouthLite. Diners fall into that category. This trip seemed to be all about the diner.

Luckily I managed to slip some pizza in there too.

Going Home

b and I went UpNorth this weekend to visit our HomeCity. It was a whirlwind weekend and we both had a good time. I spent two days walking in a way I can only do there. I walked through many of my old neighborhoods and passed by my old haunts. I spent a little time with friends that feel like family and one family member that feels like a friend. b and I had drinks at one of our old date spots and we got to eat food that doesn't really exist anywhere else. I traced the changes that happen in a city that moves at lightening speed and I remain more amazed by what doesn't change that what does. I passed by favorite restaurants, old homes and old schools. I even passed by the church where I first got married. Sometimes I wish I could see it as others do--exciting and invigorating, a city like no other--but mostly it drains me.

We drove home yesterday through snow and ice for over 10 hours--happy to be going home.

Conferences

I'm sitting in an airport on the last leg of my journey home. I've spent the past 3 days at a conference in a big cold city on a lake. It had been several years since I attended this conference but I didn't find it much changed. This was the conference everyone in my graduate program used to attend and it doesn't quite fit who I've become.

I did have a nice time, mostly because I had plenty of opportunity to catch up with two old friends. Presentations went well and I even ventured out for a lovely tapas dinner. My friend and I have both moved South (she much further than I) and complained bitterly about the cold over champagne sangria.

So good times, good work, but I'm sick of traveling. I realized this was my 4th conference in less than a year. That much work-related travel no longer fits my life style (a good thing).

This year you'll find me at home.