Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Morning has broken 27 June 2006 6:31pm

Dawn has broken on my final day in New Orleans. I am sad to leave, but happy to go. It has been a roller coaster time. I got spit on, I got chased after, I met tons of cool new people and got so much stuff I don’t know what I am gonna do with it all.

Last night was the first time I got up to the observation deck of my hotel. It was beautiful. We looked out over the city and saw the river, the same river that runs through South Dakota and Missouri. This morning I finally got to sleep in. I didn’t think Cookie Roberts, although a very cool woman was worth another day of getting myself out of bed and to the Convention Center, besides I still had to finish packing.

So once I could see the promise land of the packing nightmare, I went up to take some pictures. It was still beautiful, but not like the night before. I could still see the river and the rest of the Quarter, but it was different in the day. There were people still working on buildings trying to get them back into shape from the hurricane almost a year ago.

I took some photos and on my way back to my room I ran into Misty, one of the people who picked me up over the past five days. Just a little warning, but you will hear me refer to myself as a stray cat. While I often felt that way I was never treated that way.

Misty came back to take some photos from the observation deck. Apparently it is was a major highlight of my hotel. You will hear this a lot over the next few posts and in the coming months, but I loved my hotel. I am so happy I ended up there, and not somewhere else. I got to see a lot of other hotels, but I didn’t like any of them as much as the Omni Royal Orleans. When I go back, I am staying there. Sure it is pricey, but you are also in the Quarter. Bourbon Street is like three blocks one way and Café Du Monte was about 6 blocks the other way, and tons of places to shop drink and eat. Sure they weren’t open their usual hours and they weren’t full staffed, but they said that up front. I don’t know about other people, but I didn’t expect them to be up to pre hurricane status. I was just happy to be there and help out with what I could.

I finally get everything packed and ready to go, and now I have to figure out how to get it all out the door let alone to the shuttle.

Finally I figured it out, and soon after I get to the main lobby where bellmen were more than happy to help us get it all loaded. I headed back to the Convention Center for one last stroll through the exhibits.

Ok I am off to figure out how to get something to eat. I still have another hour and twenty-nine minutes. *sigh*

Golly this is fun 27 June 2006 6:09pm

I just got in to Kansas City. It is 6:00pm on the nose. I missed the shuttle back to Columbia by thirty minutes. I have four bags to watch out for so it is gonna be a blast. basically that means I can get food and go to the restroom when the shuttle gets here at 8pm. Yes 8, one hour and fifty-eight minutes from now. I had hoped to hop on to the wireless at KCI, that’s why they have it after all, but the signal it so weak I can’t do anything about it. At least I have my battery charged so I can start typing these up and posting them when I can.

I can’t wait to get home and sleep in my own bed. All this air conditioning I have spent my time in the last five days is making me sick. Well that and the long days, and the unusual food, and all this hauling stuff. I would be feeling pretty good about now if I didn’t spend the last five days hauling more stuff than a pack mule.

Well I am not sure how to start writing this up but I will start with today and work backwards I guess.

This is crazy 6/25/06 9:06am

Note: due to the wireless connection was a bit weak, I didn't get this posted at the noted time in the title.


I know no one really wants to hear this but I am telling ya this is the coolest thing ever. While I have heard the numbers are down this year, apparently by a lot, I am kind of glad my first conference is with such "low" numbers.

I am offically in love with New Orleans. I was before, but now I really am.

I am on day two, and for planned items, I am batting 50%.

I was suppose to go to the bloggers bash last night, but didn't make it.

I did however make to Dr. Madeleine Albright's talk last night.

Wow just wow. It was one of the coolest things I have attended. Mayor Naygen was there too. He is an impressive speaker. I was sitting in a room of a couple of thousand people, and yet I feel like he was talking to me.

This is just a quick over view of what I experianced yesterday. I know there is so much more, and I will try to write more later. But never have I ever been a place with so many people but feel like I belong. I doesn't matter if I was getting off the plane, getting to my hotel, the conventions center, or the bar last night. Librarians, bellmen, bar patrons, anyone will strike up a conversation with you. I have been a stray cat. I am picked up by groups of librarians (and they do travel in herds not packs, pulled along, given tips and included in conversations. I had a couple of groups that without them I would have hated this whole trip.

I wish I would have gotten the names of the librarians that helped me Friday night. From the lady that helped me find the bus that went to the convetion center and guided me across the street, to the ladies that calmed my fears of not getting my badge in time. Without those 10 or so really great women, I would have said the heck with this and stayed in my hotel room.

More on my great Friday and Saturday later. Right now I need to get started on my Sunday.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Sorry about the name change

But it seemed to fit me better, and all the buiseness cards I gave out over the past three days. It is just crazy. I have talked to more people, and met more people than I have met in my whole life.

This is just a quick check in. I am now off to go wander around the French Quarter and take some photos. This is my first "free" night since I got here. I need to go get some dinner and I still need to get a shirt.

I will report back later.

You know I keep saying that, but I never do. Oh well.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Hurray the headche is gone

Which is good. I found out that it was a lack of caffine, go figure. But now that is gone I am able to sit here and enjoy this great presenation about the Flat World by Dan Warlick.

Tiggers don't like

Paying for $2.75 for twenty ounces of Diet Coke. Seriously how does this happen. I have never felt more violated than that moment when she told me that price. *shudder* what have I gotten into.

Tiggers don't like headaches

Especially when trying to attend my first professional conference. I woke up at 5 with the blasted thing, and it hasn't gotten any better. I have tried everything. I tried sinus meds, I tried tylenol, I tried my migraine meds, nothing is getting this thing to go.

This is almost too much. I am in about to begin my first program of the conference. It wasn't the one I wanted to attend, but it was close and sounded interesting.

Mark this is as my first report from New Orleans.

I will be writting more about the exhibits later, but for now I will leave it with a resounding "HOLY COW!"

Thursday, June 22, 2006

I know I know

It has been awhile since I started a new blog, and what better time than now.

In less than 6 hours I will be starting my treck to New Orleans for the ALA conference. With a new bag in hand, thanks to the Liminal Librarian, I am nearly ready to go.

I figured to help track my time there and become more a "professional" librarian blog. I have that shiney new part-time job at the public library and lots of more fun stuff to keep up with.

Sorry Jenn, I just had to do this.