Conference joys

The Minneapolis Gang.  Margot is the leader.  She's tough.

It was an excellent day today, thanks to a number of factors:

* I got to see Aaron, Mary, and Margot, since we're all, mysteriously, at conferences in Minneapolis at the same time.  We had breakfast at a very tasty restaurant, where I ate ridiculously sweet cinnamon roll pancakes.  Meanwhile, Margot ate crunchy carrot chips.  Clearly I need to influence her with my food preferences.

* I went to a bunch of great presentations at the conference. During one of them I took so many notes that I filled up three pages.  Then I was overwhelmed and had to make a neat to-do list based on my notes (like "Email so-and-so and ask for a copy of her paper").

* Of course, as has been the case for the whole conference, I got to see several scholars who are disability studies rock stars, folks whose work I've read and admired.  They aren't actually rock stars in the broader world (how many of you know how amazing Rosemarie Garland-Thomson is?  Or Alison Kafer? Michelle Jarman? Marsha Saxton?  Michael Davidson?  Simi Linton?  Anybody?  Anybody?)

* I got to feel a lot of gratitude for the fact that Harriet McBryde Johnson inspired me early in my CofC career, because she got praised and celebrated quite a bit at this conference.

* I had a very useful conversation about the chapter I'm writing right now, and the phrase "monkey penis" was never used to describe it.

* I got to see Amber present her paper, and I was all like, "She's my student!  Mine!  I knew how impressive she was before you all did!"

Look at my huge bed!  Clothes strewn around! I'm sitting
at the computer desk and blogging!  Joy!

* It was pouring rain almost all day, but I didn't care, because I got to have one of my favorite conference experiences:  I didn't leave the hotel! (except when I had breakfast with the Minneapolis Gang, pictured above.)  Conferences are luxurious, because I get to stay in my quiet, empty hotel room as long as I want.

* Astrid Henry was the person who--back in the day--inspired me to stop rooming with people and to get my own room.  She always does that because she wants the quiet down time to do her own thing and not have to be extroverted, and I thought, "Hell, yeah!"  I've been doing it ever since.

Amber!  So great to see her! Soon-to-be
 academic rock star!

* I told Amber I'd probably go to the dance tonight, but I probably won't--because it's so nice being in this hotel room.  She knows me well enough that she already said goodbye to me, even though she insisted she'd see me at 9pm (9, people!  So late!) on the dance floor.

Look at all the links I have here!  This post is very well-documented.  Tomorrow I head to Cookeville, where I'll spend the next week with Maybelle and my parents.