LA, Day #2

The morning started with a trip to Denny's for (a) breakfast and (b) free wireless access. E-mail is fully read and LJ updated... life is good.

Returning to the hotel, we obtained our rental car and headed up to the La Brea Tar Pits and the associated Page Museum where we met up with rexsteed. Much fun & merriment was had --photos to follow--- and the four of us had a delightful lunch at Marie Callendar's.



While eating lunch, jearbear65oh telephoned and reminded that today was his 43rd birthday. Putting my cell phone on speakerphone, the four of us sang happy birthday to him and received a round of applause from the surrounding booths and tables. LA is the place to be discovered apparently.

We were back at the hotel in time for the convention reception & kick-off. I had receiving lines and meet-and-greets in general but we were pleasantly surprised to know nearly all of the bigwigs in the receiving line. Indeed, while we might already know 10% of the convention attendees from various fly-ins, IAGSDC conventions, caller schools and such, we apparently know a huge percentage of the board of governors, executive committee and various committee chairs. Does that make us a power couple trio?

The orientation session went a little long... it's in the nature of most callers that they like a spotlight and the sound of their own voice but it would go a little better if they remembered the purpose of the orientation: telling us what to expect for this convention. While the prior 34 conventions I'm sure were very nice, I really didn't need a recap of them. What's truly needed is a published historical document of the first conventions so we don't need to preach it repeatedly to the choir.

Tired and a little sore from a lot of walk & standing, we retreated to our room after the orientation. HBO is showing a miniseries "John Adams," a biography of one of the US founding fathers. It's very well done but a shame that we don't get HBO at home 'cause now I'd like to know how the whole US revolutionary war thing worked out for them.

LA, Day #2

The morning started with a trip to Denny's for (a) breakfast and (b) free wireless access. E-mail is fully read and LJ updated... life is good.

Returning to the hotel, we obtained our rental car and headed up to the La Brea Tar Pits and the associated Page Museum where we met up with rexsteed. Much fun & merriment was had --photos to follow--- and the four of us had a delightful lunch at Marie Callendar's.



While eating lunch, jearbear65oh telephoned and reminded that today was his 43rd birthday. Putting my cell phone on speakerphone, the four of us sang happy birthday to him and received a round of applause from the surrounding booths and tables. LA is the place to be discovered apparently.

We were back at the hotel in time for the convention reception & kick-off. I had receiving lines and meet-and-greets in general but we were pleasantly surprised to know nearly all of the bigwigs in the receiving line. Indeed, while we might already know 10% of the convention attendees from various fly-ins, IAGSDC conventions, caller schools and such, we apparently know a huge percentage of the board of governors, executive committee and various committee chairs. Does that make us a power couple trio?

The orientation session went a little long... it's in the nature of most callers that they like a spotlight and the sound of their own voice but it would go a little better if they remembered the purpose of the orientation: telling us what to expect for this convention. While the prior 34 conventions I'm sure were very nice, I really didn't need a recap of them. What's truly needed is a published historical document of the first conventions so we don't need to preach it repeatedly to the choir.

Tired and a little sore from a lot of walk & standing, we retreated to our room after the orientation. HBO is showing a miniseries "John Adams," a biography of one of the US founding fathers. It's very well done but a shame that we don't get HBO at home 'cause now I'd like to know how the whole US revolutionary war thing worked out for them.