San Francisco wrap-up

The final two days of our San Francisco trip were an enjoyable mix of business and pleasure. Business came in the form of the start of Ellen's conference (she's actually still in San Francisco, since the conference runs through the week), which I got to witness from the lobby of the hosting convention center. I was even issued a guest badge, although this didn't entitle me to attend any of the events. Not that I didn't think about it, but seeing as they posted burly security guards at the entrance to discourage this very thing, I decided to exercise the greater part of valor.

Simply sitting in the lobby and listening to the conversations swirling around me was quite an education. Who knew there were competing schools of geomorphological analysis? Evidently there are. With some difficulty, I managed to quell the urge to interject myself into conversations about which I knew less than nothing. "You integrated the MRC variable? Why on earth did you do that? Everybody knows that M ... R ... Q is the only variable worth integrating."

It was fun to see Ellen in her professional element, too. She seemed completely at home, and I was quite impressed at how naturally she navigated her way through the waters of cutting-edge physics. Impressed, but not surprised. And after she was finished for the day, she transitioned from scientist to tourist without missing a beat. We walked up and down the Embarcadero in the afternoon and visited Union Square after nightfall, both of which were a lot of fun. I've never seen palm trees with Christmas lights before, though.

Now I'm back in New Hampshire. As stupendous a trip as it was, it's nice to be home.