Friday afternoon

Low point in the conference — I remember being a little bumed at this point. I can’t remember why. Isn’t that odd. I remember feeling sad and that I was upset about something. I remember escaping the hotel and the cold air making my eyes water. Now, I can’t even remember what it was that upset me. How odd. I ended up walking down to the Barnes & Noble and browsing until the 5th C SIG. I think it would have been better to arrange to meet someone during this gap in presentations. Jo(e) had said that it is often hard to connect with people so it is better to arrange stuff in advance. Next time I’ll do more of that.

(Back)story — We’re told here to be very conscious of professors’ time. Don’t go to their offices and linger — ask your question and leave. At a conference, the dynamics change. Some people, graduate students and professors alike, will come right up and start talking with you, while others still don’t want to talk to people they don’t know. Some people are just introverts and might or might not want to talk more about themselves, their work, or their programs, but definitely won’t do so unless they’re approached. It’s hard to know who might welcome some conversation and who would prefer to be left alone. Argh…it really is a pain and I hate that awkward feeling when conversation isn’t sustained. And how to describe? I feel sometimes like an extrovert trapped in an outsider’s mind who is very conservative when it comes to managing professional hierarchies and social conventions. I guess I’ll get better at it.

Friday night

I met Deb and M. for dinner with a couple of others from the Working-Class SIG. I don’t know what the restaurant was called, but it was part of the trio of restaurants with the Italian Garden sign. The food was edible, but overpriced. I wish I’d sent my dish back and just ordered a salad instead. If I’m going to pay almost $20 for an entree, then I expect the sauce not to be watery, the shrimp not to be overcooked, and the basil and tomatoes to be plentiful rather than solitary.

I had a blast at the dance. I got to talk with Kelly, timna, Collin, and Deb for a bit. Jo(e) did encourage us to get out on the dance floor. I danced to a couple of songs shortly after arrival, and then 4-6 in the last set (until the band stopped). I haven’t danced so much in a long time. What a great time! It was great to see people relax and have fun. Let me just say, Jo(e) is a fabulous dancer and very fun to be around.

Plus, as Jo(e) alluded, my interdisciplinary work was quite successful. :) On occasions when some of us here at Mizzou have gone out, I usually stick to a glass of red wine or a bottle of beer. However, at C’s, except for one occasion, I stayed with mixed drinks rather than beer or wine. With beer or wine, if you’re not a big drinker, they can start getting to you pretty quickly. However, it is possible to slowly consume a mixed drink and end up less intoxicated than with beer or wine because while the first part of the drink has concentrated alcohol, as the ice melts, it dilutes the remaining alcohol a bit, which enables one to enjoy drinking with others and not get wasted. Besides, I am on a grad student on a budget and don’t really feel like spending multiples of 7-8.50 for alcohol, whether it is beer, wine, or mixed drink.