All the cool kids write travelogues. Here's me circa last tuesday in a midwestern airport:

"88 Degrees. Around 60% humidity. Undergrads somehow still out, somehow still drinking, on a Monday. Windows closed. I spent most of the night in that half-awake state. I can't say how much sleep I got.

I do know, however, that I woke up at 6:45am. AND THEY'RE OFF!

I looked like hell wrapped in bacon this morning, but even sans coffee I felt good. I checked over my hygiene stuff a last time, made sure my laptop was packed, and checked my clothing bags. It was around 8:30. My cab arrived at 8:40. And sure enough I remember exactly why I never use the black leather carry-on anymore. Its central zipper doesn't work.

I stayed calm; I thought; I tied an ugly criss-cross knot and carried the thing like a duffel bag. Problem solved.

I was sharing the cab with a Chinese girl and her geologically slow older mother or aunt. I know this because she had to move over while the cabbie inserted my bags. The guy was absolutely dying for conversation, and I felt pretty talkative myself. So we bullshitted on the way to the airport like young guys do. I'd been stuck over in Sea-Tac for ye gods long; he'd waited for baggage for ye gods long in Denver. Stuff.

The check-in process so far has gone smoothly. I could have sworn I could check in as many luggage pieces as I wanted, but apparently your free limit is 2. And rather than put in my laptop and get it banged up/have nothing to do on the plan or right now, I decided to ship my suits as baggage. I have no choice. It's either the suits or the laptop (given the non-zipperness of my leather carry-on). So the laptop wins. I doubt the suits'll significantly wrinkle anyway. They surely have specialty places to store that sort of thing. I should ask the overly pilot-talkative check-in attendants about that.

Funny thing about that. I remember when I was younger that you had to check in at your gate. Apparently nowadays you don't have to do that. The woman smiled in a "isn't that the most quaint thing? Darling, just darling."

Oh hey, there's a prof from my department coming by. How bizarre. Naturally we ignore each other (given that I don't know Jenny personally).

I'm debating whether coffee is a good idea or not. Or where to get it. They have a Ben and Jerry's, but it's not�

What the hell is that noise? Oh ye gods my phone was on. It was an automated Orbitz call. Apparently my flight 3 hours from now is just hunky-dorey on time double-plus good. Happiness.

Yeah, I need to hunt down some ground coffee beans.

2nd flight. Slept through the 1st one. It was lovely, far more pleasing than this one. We've even got the stereotypical child who can't stuff a cork in it. Thankfully people all around me are self-absorbed enough not to strike up conversations. Having headphones on helps.

I'm somewhere over Georgia. Or Tennessee. Somewhere south of St. Louis, which is about as 'South' as I've gotten to so far. I just finished the ultra-fine details of my talk. The 'no one but me and outrageously perceptive scientists will notice' details. This was relatively straightforward, but required me to suck in my stomach when asshole in front of me decided to kick back and recline his seat to read. Then again I did the same thing so I'd have room to work, so eh.

I've been wondering since take-off if I left my presenter wireless clicky thing and business cards at home, on my bed, in the all too convenient velvet bag. If I did, then I'll need to find a nearby Kinkos and go through the same song and dance all over again�but hey, at least I'll have everything necessary to do said dancing. The temporary loss of wireless clicky thing ain't no big thing.

It'll be 88 in Miami. Just like in Madison. However Florida is infamous for humidity. I'm on the fence about wearing my sports jacket outside. It's still traveling in the bowels of this beast as luggage. Right now I'm sporting a grey dress shirt, the vanguard tie, and the new grey slacks I picked up at Sears (hey, it was close and they look good). And the old black boots, of course, though with a layer of polish; lipstick on my piggies.

I'm saving the big guns stuff for when the actual conference starts (Wed and Thurs). I figure going in the day before I'm allowed to go in as business casual.

When I touch down, get my luggage, and head over to the Loews Hotel, I'm to meet up with Jillian. She's my Aussie roommate for this convention. We figured we'd get to know each other over coffee. I'd prefer to just wander around Miami with sunscreen lacquer (and find a Kinkos if necessary), but I'm cool with the prospect of socializing.

More details later; my neck hurts."

Like he said, later details more.

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