Conference the Fifth

Gainesville

A long day, and the Tanq Ten is tasting good.

Even though I gave myself plenty of time, I realized when I got to the Union that I'd never driven and tried to park since the parking lot I was aiming for was replaced by the bookstore. I went round and round before resigning myself to the parking garage... and then parked three times -- each time realizing the one I'd chosen had time restrictions. Then I wasted a bunch of time trying to pay for "all day" in their automated system. There were no attendants there... and hardly any cars either! It was a bit eerie. Finally realized that the pay-to-park was only in effect M-F, 7-4.

Still got there before it started. It was held in the same room as the first day last year... but it was very different on a Saturday. For one thing, the coffee place wasn't open-- no choice but to drink the UF-provided swill. About the same number of people showed up, the numbers increasing as the day wore on. But the papers were not as good. None of the regulars presented (including me, of course), some having done their thing at the joint conference on video gaming held the previous two days. The printed program was a sad affair, rolling the two conf's into one pittiful pamphlet, no detail about any of the papers, and, even worse, nothing about the keynoters at all! I was shocked by that. Also, they only made badges for the presenters.

But the biggest disappointment for me was that the Goerings bookstore will not have their table set up this year, as they have had at all the others. Turns out this was due to mismanagement and misunderstanding, which could have been avoided.

That room at the student union is not a very good conference venue. Bill suggested several days ago that the Library's newly renovated space (old building) where the formal dinner was held, would be a nice place for the conference-- especially since it's in the same building as the Comics Collection. I mentioned this to one of organizers (Tof) and he was clearly excited by the idea. Maybe I can help next year's be better in some small way. And I need to present again! There was not a single decent PowerPoint all day! That's something I know how to do.

Did not attend tonight's Keynote-- it's too long a day, and I've heard Jeff Smith (author of the wonderful, Barksian Bone) speak before. Tomorrow's sessions are at the public library, like last year's second day-- but on Sunday, downtown should be as dead as the union was today. Poor planning. I do know one of tomorrow's Keynoters-- Dylan Horrocks, author of Hicksville, which I read several years ago after hearing a paper on it, and liked alot. Looking forward to hearing him tomorrow afternoon. The other keynoter, Tom Hart, I had to google , but now know he is the author of a popular web comic, Hutch Owen, which does look like great fun. Also tomorrow afternoon.

So. A little bit about me day. The Plan B dinner came off well: a ham slice from the freezer, a package of pre-sliced zucchini I needed to use up, ditto half a bok choy. The first two combined to make a favorite, chili powder rubbed ham topped with zucchini and black bean salsa, the third chopped and stir fried. Good grub.

Up and at 'em again tomorrow morning-- 9:30 the slightly more humane starting time.

Enjoy your extended snow event. And maybe several shorter sessions at the organ would be a good strategy to avoid back pain, Mom. Maybe a few simple stretching exercises before and after would help too.

Gonna read a little, then try for 7 hours of sleep.