Sunday, October 22, 2006

...and boy is my brain tired

I just got back from a linguistics conference in Banff. Thoughts on the conference:

- we got there late due to "unforseen" circumstances (for 'unforseen' read 'unannounced'...fault placed squarely within my sphere of influence)

- we stayed for the morning talks. I wish I wasn't a/ tired, b/ grumpy, and c/ hungry because some of the speakers had some really cool things to say and I kept getting more and more annoyed.

(note to gentlemen: I appreciate your kindness when you get up to offer your seat when I (or other women) are left standing. However, there are limits. If the women you're graciously giving up your seat to are roughly your age or younger (and healthy and not pregnant), it's not necessary. When the room is packed full and people have to shuffle around in order to accommodate said kindness, missing precious minutes of a talk that lasts only 15 minutes, it is even less necessary. If at least 60% of these shuffling people are women..then there's really no point. Just sit your ass down.)

- we missed the afternoon. I couldn't bear to go back. Especially since nothing at the conference that afternoon had anything to do with my interests. But, that was a mistake because, you see, I would have been tired and irritated anywhere I was and I might as well have been learning something while I was tired and irritated.

Thoughts on Banff:

- I am a Calgarian. Calgarians, by their very nature, are meant to adore Banff. ADORE. I don't. I simply don't. There. I said it.

Look, I like mountains, they are very pretty. But I don't go to Banff to go hiking...I go to a mountain to go hiking, and then I go home. Banff is just a lot of shops and some pretty scenery. The scenery is very pretty. Lovely. But, I can't figure out what there is to DO in Banff. Will someone please tell me the secret to loving Banff? Once you bought fudge, why are you staying?

- I"m happy I stayed...but not because it's Banff. Only because it's somewhere pretty to stay the night and an excuse to go out for lunch, have beers in the eve with friends, and then go out for breakfast. Actually, thoughts on that:

- I wish I would have gone back to the conference...though, spending the afternoon with the ladies of linguistics was very nice. I like those girls lots and I'm glad we got a chance to hang out. But, I'm not a shopper...and wandering shop to shop really gets me tired...which eventually irritates me. Which makes me mouthy. Which makes me think I"m funny, but probably is just really me wishing I was funny. As much as I liked hanging out with the girls, I felt as though I was doing nothing. Walking up and down the tacky streets of Banff doesn't make me feel the slightest bit productive. Later, S and I went for beer and sat and talked and I finally had some strongbow induced relaxation..but it was difficult being uptight all afternoon...all day, really.

So, I'm gonna stop typing and get to work on the stuff that is making me freaky...

1 comment:

Himbly said...

Were you crabby? I didn't notice at all.

Yeah, I really enjoyed hanging out, but I was nervous and tense the whole day. Oh well.

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