This was my first Netroots Nation I was given my entire trip by the extremely generous
Allensl.
Llbear gave me a very early morning ride to the airport despite the fact I could have just as easily taken the
Max Red Line to the terminal.
After checking in and getting felt up by a male TSA Screener. I wasn't going through the radiation dose route. They didn't ask if I wanted a female or provide a safe space for me to discuss my Transgender status. Fortunately he was professional about it.
After waiting in the cookie cutter waiting area I was crammed with about two hundred and forty people onto a plane for the flight to D.C. My hips are wider than the seat so the armrest kept popping up on the passenger next to me if I moved. Très annoying.
After landing at Dulles I experienced the joys of marching through terminals, over escalators and moving sidewalks, into trains, through tunnels. All the while dodging other confused, late, distracted, and exhausted passengers going every conceivable direction.
At the gate for Providence I learn I will be in a propeller driven aircraft. I was intrigued. Most of what I was accustomed to seeing being used were turbine engines so the novelty of propellers was a learning experience.
Cheers & Jeers Kiddie Pool
After flying over the eastern seaboard and over the Atlantic I landed safely in Providence. After a typical wait for transit I made my way downtown. Arriving much too late to join in the C&J dinner that was rapidly winding down I made introductions to my new roommate, Commonmass, and those that came up to our room for a much needed nightcap. I was disappointed to learn there was an entire day of LGBT sessions that I had missed.
I'm no longer suited to sitting in conferences for long periods of time. I was able to attend parts of some panels but there wasn't much point in my staying in pain my memory sucks if I'm too miserable. But i do know I want to pick the brain of the middle speaker during Saturday(?) lunch on the panel on criminal injustice. What I most wanted to do was not only put faces on the screen names I know so well but to learn about ways I can improve my own posts by learning from others.
The entire week was a whirlwind of images and ideas that created a backlog in the sorting room of my brain. There were celebrities there from not only online fame but to the general public. I did for a moment want to bug Alan Grayson but he like many other attendees that were recognizable personalities those vying for his attention exceeded the time available to interact.
I was slow to become enthused with the event. But by the time the Kossack party at Whiskey Republic was going on I was enjoying myself quite well. Two fellow Kossacks and I walked early to the restaurant/pub and had dinner. I had to try out fish on the East Coast since I've eaten West Coast fish all my life. Tasty. We got to see the marching band arrive:
Party tent before being invaded by hordes of open bar seeking Kossacks:
Pootie Queen also held court at the party:
I was glad to make it home:
When I got home I found my checked luggage had been poked through:
I also have lots of picture of clouds from flying home in daylight. If some of the meteorology folks are interested I will upload them.