Thursday, July 19, 2007

I hate packing.

I'm flying to Minneapolis tomorrow evening for a professional meeting. I'm taking a review class on Saturday-Sunday that will be helpful when I take the next part of the Board Exams. Then I will be attending presentations and poster sessions and the like until Thursday morning. I'll get back home by rush hour that day. I am feeling very tired and stressed. Unrested. Unsettled. Not exactly the best frame of mind (or body) for going on a trip. I woke up this morning with a headache not unlike a hangover, and kept it for most of the day, but I didn't have any wine last night. Hmpf.

I'm supposed to be all packed by now. It is 8pm, and all I have gotten together for the trip is my gadgets, software, books and DVDs. Not a lick of clothing has gone into a suitcase. What should be packed? I'm always afraid I will forget something crucial. It doesn't matter how many lists I try to make, it will feel like I'm forgetting something. I'm not much of a plan ahead person. Trying to figure out what I want to wear for the next week is not easy for me. I haven't been to one of these meetings before. I will probably err to the conservative side, i.e. boring business attire. According to the weather sites it will be hotter there than it is here. Hope those skyways are air conditioned... I don't fancy walking through a greenhouse-like tube for blocks and blocks in 95 degree heat. Maybe I'll make the employer spring for a cab ride here or there. Again, here is the lack of a plan showing it's ugly head. There are some other people from work going, but we are all in different hotels. It will probably work out alright.

I'm taking my notebook computer and camera, so there might be some posts while I'm gone. At the very least, I will be keeping up with your blogs. Have a good weekend, everyone!

9 comments:

Natalie said...

Of course the skyways are air conditioned! Minnesotans are wussies when it comes to heat. Too bad you'll be here for porbably the worst hot spell of the year. It's mid-70s with no humidity today but still supposed to heat up fast. Regardless I hope you enjoy your stay! It's always fun to hear about the Twin Cities from someone else's perspective.

Kathleen said...

Good luck and have fun! It's best to err on the side of conservative with something like this.

Dave said...

As I write you are there.

Here it is almost bearable, the humidity has receded.

I lived in St. Paul and Minneapolis for about a year, long ago. If you get a chance, and it is still, no current knowledge on my part, a kind of cool place, try "Dinkytown." It's adjacent to the University campus. Back when I lived there is was a cross among Virginia-Highlands, Five Points and parts of Ponce.

Enjoy.

Oh, you aren't going to see these people again are you? Wear what you want.

Anonymous said...

If I still lived in my old home, you would only be a hop, skip and a jump away from me. Now you are two hops, one skip and two jumps away. I live just far enough away now that it's not possible for me to crash your seminar and pretend to be a medial professional. Darn. Oh well...

Have a blast up north and force yourself to write something while you are on the road -- just to say you did it.

TheWriteGirl said...

Don't complain to me about packing! I've had my fill of it. You had a suitcase...I had a whole house. I know, different kind of packing. My last vacation, I packed completely wrong. I took too many things I didn't need and not enough of what I really needed. That was dumb.

Beth said...

I've visited Minneapolis and didn't love it. I hope your experience is completely different!

fermicat said...

magnetbabe - I will let you know when I've been here a little longer.

kat - Yeah, I went with some boring, but completely unoffensive duds.

dave - I will try, but am without a rental car and have limited mobility. The people I am meeting are professional contacts that I do expect to meet again and again. This is a relatively new career for me and this is the premier meeting for medical physicists.

younameit - I will probably post once or twice while I am here. I'm enjoying an afternoon of downtime in an internet cafe right now. My day and a half of class was very intense and I need a break.

thewritegirl - that is always what I am afraid of. Not having the right stuff for the trip. It isn't always easy knowing in advance what you'll need.

beth - so far it isn't bad. I'm staying in a very swanky hotel that is about a mile from where the meeting is held.

Beth said...

OK, I was not in a swanky little hotel. I was in emergency care due to hubby having caustic liquid in eye. That might be why. LOL

Glad you're doing well!

Kathleen said...

Oooh, you're networking. I hope it goes well for you. And in that case, good job on the inoffensive, dull clothing.