Back in Madison!

Well, I'm back from my 4-day conference on Beneficial Microbes--back from Lake Tahoe, CA and Reno, NV. So close to the ocean and yet so far away . . .

First off, the science was quite awesome at the conference. Although my brain was beyond full after each day of talks starting at 9:00AM and going until 8PM with breaks in between for lunch and dinner plus a poster session. . . the science was really amazing, and I am glad I went. Even though scientific meetings still make me feel less academically and socially adept.

Since it was snowing in Lake Tahoe, I got to sit out in the hot tub chatting with other scientists while the flakes gently fell. It was surreal.

Conferences are supposed to be, in part, about networking, and I'm still learning to do that. I like people and places with lots of them, but there's still a bit of the Pollack side in me that wants to just go hide in my room and be quiet sometimes. And by the end of the conference, it was a welcome change to head into Reno with Sarah and just chill and watch TLC and Style Network, while contemplating nothing more involved than wandering around the casinos later.

Reno is special. Originally, I had prepared myself for a city that was old and tired and glitzed out, but really Reno was more intact than that. Yeah, it was chock-full of neon lights and liquor stores, but most of the people Sarah and I met were friendly and human--mostly. We went into our first pawn shop ever, right on the main drag, and made friends with all the clerks inside. When we told them we were just browsing, they'd all tease us that browsing wasn't free, or something like that. The thing about being a cute girl with no associated male in sight is that men tend to be much friendlier to you, and try to impress you. One of the clerks called Sarah and I over, and let us each hold a $50,000 opal in our hand. It was blue and flashing green, with a diamond-encrusted snake encircling it. Can you imagine holding more than twice your yearly salary in one hand?

All in all, Sarah and I had a great time wandering aimlessly around the casinos: El Dorado & Silver Legacy, Circus Circus, The Golden Pheonix, Harrah's, and Fitzgerald's. Our motel was across the street from one of the many wedding chapels (Chapel of the Bells, with Reno's 1st Drive-thru wedding chapel). I gambled only about 15 bucks total, and learned that I should stick to the penny slots because MAN, does the money go fast. . .

By late Saturday evening, we were back in Madison. After being gone for a week, I come home to find all the trees budding and plenty of e-mails and homework to catch up on. The outdoor farmer's market has started up again, so I have Saturday afternoons booked to walk around the square nibbling on croissants and coffee whilst inspecting produce. . . .