IUG Conference April 27-April 30, 2008

So, I whined a lot to my friends about having to go to Washington D.C., leaving poor Don to tend to all of the critters on his own. And the whining was warranted--I miss Don when I go someplace new because I love exploring with him....going someplace new without him is like opening a gift from him when he isn't there...or not getting to see him open a gift from me....or what it must be like for a parent who doesn't get to be with a child for the first Disney Land visit. It's just not right! But I have to admit that getting to see Washington D.C. was pretty cool. I didn't do the usual patriotic things--see the National Mall, Library of Congress, or the Smithsonian because I didn't feel there was time, and I felt like ANY part of D.C. was explorable, so why not just focus on the area near the conference hotel?
Tanya, my cataloger friend, was my travel companion. We went to different workshops and sessions at the conference so didn't see each other much mid-day, but before and after the conference we managed a couple of walks to the National Cathedral, and with another friend, Han, who now lives in D.C., an amazing tour of the zoo.

Saturday, April 26th, 2008
Long Beach Airport (CA)

Now, I'm not one to admire babies--not human ones anyway, but this little girl, Samantha, was pretty darned adorable. Each time Tanya or I looked in her direction she'd smile broadly. This made feeding her a bit challenging for her Mom here, but I suspect she was used to her daughter being a sensation.
Our plane had left at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Standard time and arrived at about 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard time (3:30 by my watch).
Just before our East Coast landing:

By 9:00 p.m. D.C. time we were eating dinner at Murphy's, just up the street (24th) from the Omni Hotel where we were staying. Our waitress offered to take our picture when she saw me pull out my camera.

My actual intention in pulling it out was to photograph the musician playing a guitar, harmonica, and singing "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Our waitress is here at the end of the counter.

A bit farther up 24th, the street merges with Connecticut at which point there is a subway station that from the top of this escalator looked like a very long way down. Once at the bottom here, I was praying the power wouldn't die.

I just love hotel lobbies--isn't this pretty?

In the center of the room above is a floral arrangement. This is a flower in that arrangement.

I also love chandeliers!

And I just adore a room that doesn't announce that I hate to clean! (smile)

The next morning I grabbed a few morsels at "Morsels", went to my 9:00-12:00 workshop and spent lunch walking down to, and then along this river.
Down to....
and along the river.

And suddenly I was at a tropical rain forest in a zoo.

. . . with a window looking into the river where HUGE fish drifted about.

. . . and a colorful parrot.

And then back to the conference for a session by Corey Seeman on "Milstats"

And then there is a session on Funds, also presented by Corey Seeman.

And then a little walk up 24th street brings me to the Marriott where I simply must stake out the Starbucks that a sign on the street promised me would be here.

. . . and soon, after talking with Don cell to cell, I'm settled in for the evening with my new jasmine scented candle from Omni's gift shop.
Speaking of settling in for the night...I'm afraid I'll have to finish this another time...
Goodnight.