And to think the actual conference doesn't start until tomorrow!
Day Two of getting to work before dawn, leaving after dark. Woo, overtime.
So far, things seem to be going well. There have been minor kerfluffles, but for once everyone at the conference so far seems to be rolling with it. Well, everyone at the pre-pre-conference yesterday and the pre-conference today, at least. We still have about 400 people to check in, tomorrow.
There was some excitement before mid-day, when we started to get word about the tanker explosion in Indianapolis. (A tanker truck carrying liquid propane or something of the sort flipped over and exploded on an exit ramp overpass, sending out shockwaves and 700-foot flames, and reportedly causing the closure of a major traffic artery for the next several weeks.) It didn't immediately affect our participants, as they were coming from the airport on the opposite side of town, but apparently the airport car rentals were late getting back as a result, so some of the folks who'd rented cars were a bit late getting down here to Bloomington.)
Tonight's keynote speaker in Alumni Hall (at the far end of the IMU) had the pleasure of battling with a rock concert on Dunn Meadow right outside. There was some huge Victoria's Secret PINK event for breast cancer awareness and a benefit for Middleway House, a local women's shelter. The setup was absolutely insane - with 75-foot light towers and a tent over the stage and such. There was some band called Girl Talk and then Cobra Starship (of the "Snakes on a Plane" song fame, amongst others.)
After I played microphone jockey for the keynote Q&A, I helped people find their way to the IU Auditorium, where their reception was held. I was done for the night, and clocked out, but I followed the crowd over, to make sure things were off to a good start, and to get some free food. (;
While I was there, I struck up conversation on the subject of research with a French delegate who actually works at a university in UK. When things were wrapping up, he found that his bag was missing, along with his wallet and research notes. No one on the staff remembered seeing it, and we looked under every piece of furniture in the lobbies. The conference chair eventually called campus police, who couldn't physically come because of the concert chaos, but as she was concluding her call, one of the other Auditorium staff remembered that there might have been a bag that they thought had been abandoned, and dug around in lost and found and found the bag.
SO, all was well, and we all walked back to the IMU in the rain.
I took my leave, just in time for the concert to let out, disgorging thousands of students out onto 7th Street while I was trying to drive down it. (Sigh.)
I did finally make it home and got changed into my jammies, and found that Holy Grail was just starting on IFC. Woohoo!
So far, things seem to be going well. There have been minor kerfluffles, but for once everyone at the conference so far seems to be rolling with it. Well, everyone at the pre-pre-conference yesterday and the pre-conference today, at least. We still have about 400 people to check in, tomorrow.
There was some excitement before mid-day, when we started to get word about the tanker explosion in Indianapolis. (A tanker truck carrying liquid propane or something of the sort flipped over and exploded on an exit ramp overpass, sending out shockwaves and 700-foot flames, and reportedly causing the closure of a major traffic artery for the next several weeks.) It didn't immediately affect our participants, as they were coming from the airport on the opposite side of town, but apparently the airport car rentals were late getting back as a result, so some of the folks who'd rented cars were a bit late getting down here to Bloomington.)
Tonight's keynote speaker in Alumni Hall (at the far end of the IMU) had the pleasure of battling with a rock concert on Dunn Meadow right outside. There was some huge Victoria's Secret PINK event for breast cancer awareness and a benefit for Middleway House, a local women's shelter. The setup was absolutely insane - with 75-foot light towers and a tent over the stage and such. There was some band called Girl Talk and then Cobra Starship (of the "Snakes on a Plane" song fame, amongst others.)
After I played microphone jockey for the keynote Q&A, I helped people find their way to the IU Auditorium, where their reception was held. I was done for the night, and clocked out, but I followed the crowd over, to make sure things were off to a good start, and to get some free food. (;
While I was there, I struck up conversation on the subject of research with a French delegate who actually works at a university in UK. When things were wrapping up, he found that his bag was missing, along with his wallet and research notes. No one on the staff remembered seeing it, and we looked under every piece of furniture in the lobbies. The conference chair eventually called campus police, who couldn't physically come because of the concert chaos, but as she was concluding her call, one of the other Auditorium staff remembered that there might have been a bag that they thought had been abandoned, and dug around in lost and found and found the bag.
SO, all was well, and we all walked back to the IMU in the rain.
I took my leave, just in time for the concert to let out, disgorging thousands of students out onto 7th Street while I was trying to drive down it. (Sigh.)
I did finally make it home and got changed into my jammies, and found that Holy Grail was just starting on IFC. Woohoo!