Teh SCIENCE!
So the AVM meeting was pretty awesome. I may just be overenthused because it was my first one, but I learned a lot, got some good info, made some awesome contacts... and my brain feels all big and squishy and smart. Which is never a bad thing :D.
The drive was nice. I always like heading through the Great Smoky Mountains heading into Tennessee. I used to make the drive often with my parents to visit my Grandmother when she lived there. It's a little under a four hour drive (a little longer this time since we were in a state van). We left a little later than we expected, didn't actually get on the road Saturday morning until about 8:30. We got to the hotel in time to eat some lunch before heading into our roundtable discussions.
Basically the format of AVM is two different roundtable meetings, one for Bacteriology, the other for Serology/Virology. There's a list of topic, and two 3-4 hour discussions on two different days covering all of them, one at a time. A lot of things I had no input on, mostly because they were out of my purview. Granted I've had about two years of doing this, while some people there have over twenty or thirty. But there's a lot of different levels of input there. For the people who have been there forever and know the science, to the newer people who have fresh eyes and new technology to use.
I just wish I'd gotten a view out of the hotel room. The smoky mountains on Saturday morning around 7am were gorgeous.
So now I just need to unpack from that trip and repack for my trip to Boston Wednesday morning. But speaking of cameras, I'm sort of in a bind. I'd like to take mine, but my 35mm is massive, and I'm already bringing my laptop as a carryon. My digital camera is cheap and older... and has never had a reliable battery life. That and I just don't like it as much. I think I may cave and bring the digital camera for snapping shots around Boston. I may or may not be spending Thanksgiving in Boston (I've been invited, we'll have to see about practicality, I feel like I've already taken a pile of vacations). So pictures and exploring can always be done then.
Any suggestions? any input? I'd like to take my laptop on the plane. The bag's big enough that my wallet and other 'necessary' things can be stashed in that and my purse can get thrown in my luggage. That way I can carry the laptop and fullsized camera... and the digital's small enough to slip in the bag with one of the others? I'm planning on buying a nice digital camera later, but I just don't have the disposable funds right now.
Bah, I have two days to figure it out. Maybe if I actually spend the money on expensive batteries it'll make a difference.
The drive was nice. I always like heading through the Great Smoky Mountains heading into Tennessee. I used to make the drive often with my parents to visit my Grandmother when she lived there. It's a little under a four hour drive (a little longer this time since we were in a state van). We left a little later than we expected, didn't actually get on the road Saturday morning until about 8:30. We got to the hotel in time to eat some lunch before heading into our roundtable discussions.
Basically the format of AVM is two different roundtable meetings, one for Bacteriology, the other for Serology/Virology. There's a list of topic, and two 3-4 hour discussions on two different days covering all of them, one at a time. A lot of things I had no input on, mostly because they were out of my purview. Granted I've had about two years of doing this, while some people there have over twenty or thirty. But there's a lot of different levels of input there. For the people who have been there forever and know the science, to the newer people who have fresh eyes and new technology to use.
I just wish I'd gotten a view out of the hotel room. The smoky mountains on Saturday morning around 7am were gorgeous.
So now I just need to unpack from that trip and repack for my trip to Boston Wednesday morning. But speaking of cameras, I'm sort of in a bind. I'd like to take mine, but my 35mm is massive, and I'm already bringing my laptop as a carryon. My digital camera is cheap and older... and has never had a reliable battery life. That and I just don't like it as much. I think I may cave and bring the digital camera for snapping shots around Boston. I may or may not be spending Thanksgiving in Boston (I've been invited, we'll have to see about practicality, I feel like I've already taken a pile of vacations). So pictures and exploring can always be done then.
Any suggestions? any input? I'd like to take my laptop on the plane. The bag's big enough that my wallet and other 'necessary' things can be stashed in that and my purse can get thrown in my luggage. That way I can carry the laptop and fullsized camera... and the digital's small enough to slip in the bag with one of the others? I'm planning on buying a nice digital camera later, but I just don't have the disposable funds right now.
Bah, I have two days to figure it out. Maybe if I actually spend the money on expensive batteries it'll make a difference.