Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Conference & Ocean ... Monday October 23


Ocean near Pacific Grove, originally uploaded by J Semenza.

I felt a lot better this morning after a solid 12 hours of sleep. Melinda and I headed to the conference center. We parked up on a hill behind the hotel and walked down to the front doors. I picked up my registration tags and loot and headed for my favorite conference room. Min, went out to one of the many tables and comfy areas to work on her paper.

I have finally found a new methodology for choosing a conference session. Every session they offer is interesting to me. So instead of deciding on a session, I choose the comfy room. Most conferences are held in hotel ballrooms with narrow seats all crammed together. This conference center has those kinds of rooms, but it also has this stadium room with comfy kinds of seats and those hinged pop-up desktops. So I only went to sessions that were held in that room.

Over the course of the conference I went to many sessions. I took notes over on my Library Banter blog. Be aware that these can be incredibly boring entries. But I am really greatful for the notes:

At lunch time, I found Melinda and we walked down the wharf looking for someplace to eat. She had spotted a Mexican restaurant earlier so we ended up there, looking out at the harbor, the sea lions, otter, pelicans and multitude of gulls.

After the conference sessions we trudged up to the car. Melinda was at this conference center with Jessica and they entered from the top floor near where we parked. So tomorrow, we're going to find another way in...

Melinda really wanted to go out to the beach at Pacific Grove. I was tired. After all, I hadn't really slept for 2 or so weeks (excepting last night). On the other hand, I really, really wanted to watch the ocean. It was gorgeous, we even spotted a sea otter eating and cavorting in the waves.
There were a lot of gulls flying about. Melinda had a lot more energy than I did. I was back in the car reading and dozing early and she was still walking and looking.

Birds of the day:
(Melinda saw in the morning from the balcony at the Hilton -- Townsend's Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Slate-colored Junco and Western Scrub Jay.)

  1. Brewers Blackbirds
  2. Starlings
  3. Rock Doves
  4. Brandt's Cormorants
  5. Pelagic Cormorants
  6. Brown Pelicans
  7. Pied-billed Grebes
  8. Willets
  9. Whimbrel
  10. Black-bellied Plover
  11. Heerman's Gulls
  12. Western Gulls
  13. California Gulls
  14. Black Phoebe
  15. Black Turnstones
  16. Crows
  17. Great Eagrets
  18. Canada Geese
  19. Domestic Mallards
  20. American Coots
  21. Western Meadowlark

We had dinner at the nearest, interesting restaurant advertising steak, seafood and pasta. What we didn’t see from the road was the “Latin” menu, which made Melinda quite happy. When we got back to the hotel, I, of course, fell into that comfy bed early and slept very, very well.

More soon
Jenny


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