Traveling to the GRC
New London is not conveniently served by any major airports. The Gordon Research Conference has shuttle busses set up from the closest airports, but I elected to drive. Mostly I find that the difference in travel time isn't that significant once the terminal waiting period and the ground transportation is figured in. Driving is quite a bit cheaper even for one person. Though the trip is covered by my NIH grant, I don't like to waste the money unnecessarily. Well, I would spend it, no problem, but I find it less stressful to be on my own schedule if possible.
Today it was a good thing, since after waking up I discovered that I had forgotten to put my laundry into the drier. Who needs pants anyway? After a quick re-wash to eliminate any possibility of mildewiness and a cycle through the drier, I was ready to finish packing. I would have been substantially more panicked had I a flight deadline. As it was I even had time to stop on my way to have brunch with a friend: poached eggs over short-rib hash and challah bread french toast. It ended up being my only meal of the day, but it was _really_good_.
But I digress.
Driving is nice because it makes taking items like a fan practical. Why is this important? Well, none of the small liberal arts colleges where the Gordon Conferences are held seem to have air conditioning. Not only that, but the dorm I'm staying in (yes, these conferences have us all staying in dorms) is of a modern design that essentially prevents any cross-breezes. I imagine that the architects copied the plans from a dorm built in another part of the country and just left off the AC without really thinking about the impact of the design. Not that AC is so important in the middle of New Hampshire during the school year. Anyway. The need for the fan should be obvious.
My room has been transformed from a sweltering slice of hell to a cool and slightly swampy closet courtesy of my fan. Planning pays off.
I also remembered to bring a CAT5 cable, which was good because the WiFi doesn't seem to be working. An added bonus is that the bandwidth seems to be quite good. And as we all know from Avenue Q, big bandwidth means a better internet experience.
Today it was a good thing, since after waking up I discovered that I had forgotten to put my laundry into the drier. Who needs pants anyway? After a quick re-wash to eliminate any possibility of mildewiness and a cycle through the drier, I was ready to finish packing. I would have been substantially more panicked had I a flight deadline. As it was I even had time to stop on my way to have brunch with a friend: poached eggs over short-rib hash and challah bread french toast. It ended up being my only meal of the day, but it was _really_good_.
But I digress.
Driving is nice because it makes taking items like a fan practical. Why is this important? Well, none of the small liberal arts colleges where the Gordon Conferences are held seem to have air conditioning. Not only that, but the dorm I'm staying in (yes, these conferences have us all staying in dorms) is of a modern design that essentially prevents any cross-breezes. I imagine that the architects copied the plans from a dorm built in another part of the country and just left off the AC without really thinking about the impact of the design. Not that AC is so important in the middle of New Hampshire during the school year. Anyway. The need for the fan should be obvious.
My room has been transformed from a sweltering slice of hell to a cool and slightly swampy closet courtesy of my fan. Planning pays off.
I also remembered to bring a CAT5 cable, which was good because the WiFi doesn't seem to be working. An added bonus is that the bandwidth seems to be quite good. And as we all know from Avenue Q, big bandwidth means a better internet experience.