Yep, it was crazy all right. I think I sprained my thumb. The conference itself was OK, but nothing to write (blog) home about. Not too many people showed up to our panel--could be because it was at a rather inconvenient time of day. At least it made my first conference presentation a not-too-intimidating experience.
But the rest of the weekend--oh, good times. The hostel we stayed in the first night was so creepy that we moved out of there the next day! A tiny, limping man opened the door for us when we arrived near midnight in the pouring rain (thinking a lot of "Hostel" here):
After getting yelled at for going to the wrong door, we got brought down to what can only be described as a glorified cellar. No windows anywhere in the basement. Wires hanging out of the ceilings. Very dark, even with all the lights on. Random blankets on the wall hiding huge holes that led... who knows where? To top it all off, a certificate to the owner of the hostel, signed by Tom De Ley, for being such a great Republican. Needless to say, we were out of there the next day and we signed into the hotel that the conference was being held in.
We went to a few interesting panels. But the real fun started on Saturday night when we went down to the hotel bar. This professor from Flint, Michigan, decided to start chatting us up, and he was really over the top. He talked forever about how none of us are going to get jobs (probably true), and how we should pick another area to specialize in, like Business Writing (bleah!). He casually, but very clumsily, tried to suggestively hit on us. Of course, it was nothing short of creepy. The bartender was great, and even gave us free shots for all the pain that professor was making us endure. A wedding party descended on us about midnight. Everything looked so dysfunctional: the groom got so mad at the bride that he left to hang out in the bars downtown all night, the bride was yelling at people and demanding that her bridesmaids spend the evening with her in the honeymoon suite since the groom sure wasn't going to, and one of the bridesmaids started yelling at us and telling us that "it doesn't concern you!"
About 3 a.m. we decided it was time to jump in the pool, even though it was closed. So we did. With all our clothes on. Then we had to get back to our room in soaking wet clothes. We ran across the hotel lobby and one of the guys at the desk started chasing us. But we made it back safe and sound. What a weekend! It was so much fun. Next weekend (Nov. 10th), it'll be another conference. This time in Chicago. I'm excited for that one too. But I think this one will be much more subdued.
Anxiety is finding out exactly 2 months before your wedding that the restaurant you were going to have your reception in is closing down and that you have to find a new venue.
Anticipation is thinking about your honeymoon and how glorious it will be to have a whole week when the alarm won't go off early in the morning, when there will be no reading, no papers to grade, no teaching, no driving back and forth to places to take care of small detail-y things. Just a solid week of quiet relaxation. I can't remember the last time I got to sleep in, or the last time I had a whole day to myself when I didn't have to go to school to do something or do homework.
That's where we'll be for our honeymoon. 10 points to whoever can guess where we're going.
9 comments:
I know, I know. Was it in Missouri? Or was that where Mom and Dad were going to go on vacation a while ago? Louisiana? Somewhere south, I know.
that looks like a lot of the houses in the adirondack park, back in upstate NY.
i'd guess not there.
Oak Grove? maybe that's one of the newly renovated buildings.
georgia.
OK, 10 points to Scott. but obviously he knew this information already. blue ridge mountains, down in georgia. i can't wait!
funny story about georgia. in indianapolis this weekend, we went out for lunch on saturday. we hadn't had breakfast yet, but we all decided to order drinks anyway. i'm not usually a fruity-drink-liking person, but this time i just went with it and got a "georgia peach." by the end of the meal we were all pretty giggly and silly. i accidentally dropped a knife, and our waiter said in a thick southern accent, "no moh goh-ja peach foh yoooo!" and i thought, "ha ha, little do you know!"
scott next time we get together we should do our outmost best to be giggly and silly. for serious. i think it could be fun.
Hey - do you have any free time in Chicago? Time to hang out with friends and acquaintances like me, Grant, Adam Smit, my sister Carolyn, etc...?
hi kristin!
as a matter of fact, i do have free time. i'm going to go to your blog and comment, just to make sure that you get this.
Sarah - My email is k-elgersma@northwestern.edu (I don't think I have yours any more either). Drop me a note and we can work out details!
I think the holes in the wall lead to piles and piles of rotting steakburgers that aren't steaks. The limping guy definitely had something to do with that. (The holes in the wall being full of steakburgers and the fact that the steakburgers aren't steaks.) He just seemed like the type. And he mentioned Steak n Shake in a suspicious way.
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