tummy bug has subsided, so it is on with the story . . .
Day 3 was Thursday – I have to tell you that this is the first “real” conference I have attended for work purposes. Oh, I did the “newsletter” seminar at which the trainer simply wanted to sell books and books and more books – and I’ve been a typesetter/typist most of my adult life and I only picked up a couple of new ideas . . . so this one counts as my first real conference.
hence my excitement on being asked to attend. Also – hence my enjoyment of the speakers and such – I am not so blase or jaded that I could sit ’round and make snarky comments about the speakers or their topics. No – I mostly soaked it all up and enjoyed myself.
Day 3 began with a Resource Fair – each of the grantees had a table and were to have brought information to share with the others. I, of course, helped with the Alaska table. Went downstairs for breakfast and then over to help set up.
Have you ever been in a small space with two (TWO!) type A personalities?! Imagine PurpleMoose with a BEEEG smile here. I finally turned away from the carnage and went around the room to see what the other tables held. Picked up lots of information and chatted with folks from all around the country. Very interesting – very entertaining – and then I went back to the now completed booth and settled in?for a bit to chat with those coming by to ask us about our program.
We had a working lunch session and more sessions to attend. I went to an “Assistive Technology” session and find that I have?a LOT of work to do on our website at work to make it more accessible to people who have disabilities.
Later in the afternoon I discovered that there will be an Assistive Technology conference held at the end of this month – in Nashville, TN – and that I might get the chance to go to that!(becoming quite the traveler here of late, eh?) As of now I am on the alternates list as they only have so many openings. I may not find out until a week before I am to leave. Oy! The cost of THAT ticket!!!
After our last speaker of the event, a group of us decided to go to the Fremont end of the Strip. We wanted to see the Freemont Street Experience. It was pretty amazing! And, there was a live street band – dressed up to look like ZZ Top?- they were pretty good, too. RR went to stand among the crowd in front of the band stand. I stayed on the corner watching out for the two others who were going from casino to casino to gamble. RR was $50 ahead and I had given all the $ to the Vegas school district that I wanted, so I stayed put.
RR got stepped on by two guys fighting – he said THAT was an experience. 😉
He and I both had to be up quite early to get the shuttle to the airport in time for a 7 am flight so we had asked the others to come back by 10 so we could get to the hotel by 10:30. At 11:30 he finally went looking for them. Of course, they had all sorts of excuses – but they also had the luxury of sleeping in.
Like the kind folks that we are, (ahem!) RR and I shrugged it off and we went our separate ways.
By this time I am thinking that 3:30 wake up call is going to come awfully early – and the shower I took to get the casino smokey stank off me had woken me up somewhat – so I made the not-so-well-thought-out decision to stay up the rest of the night – thinking (incorrectly) that I could sleep on the flight home in the morning.
Ha! and again I say HA-HA!!!
day 4 – tomorrow – I promise!