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So, the holidays are in full swing around here. Last night was the annual "holiday gala" held by my local professional group. About 150 people showed up at the social event, which was at a small science museum near the Judiciary Square Metro. I had a great time checking in with my professional friends and acquaintances, and meeting a few new faces too. The food was decent and the open bar (for beer and wine) did not hurt, either. This wasn't the most unusual venue for the annual gala, but I was there to see the people more than the exhibits, anyhow.
(I seem to recall that last year was the first time since 1995 that I had NOT gone to the holiday gala, but now I cannot remember why I missed it. Perhaps I missed the deadline for reservations? Perhaps I was running out of money? Perhaps I was just in a funk over the deaths of a couple of people I knew? I certainly didn't bother to write it down in LJ/DW at the time.)
And, of course, there was one person in my professional group whom I knew in advance I wasn't going to see. Dammit, Pedro.
And this evening I went to a "happy hour" gathering to celebrate the successful launch, last week, of the Big Project at the Very Prestigious Institution. The one of which I was a small but necessary part. I had a great time catching up with people whom I hadn't seen since August. It was just so gratifying to be remembered and welcomed. (And, gee, it would be nice to get another contract to work there!)
I have also been playing with the new Android tablet, which I have named Tonks because the back side of the tablet is bright pink. (Tonks, if you read the Harry Potter books, was the young, punky witch whose hair turned different colors, including pink and purple.) I've downloaded both the official LJ app and the "ElJay" app, which apparently allows cross-posting among the journals with the same basic code. I suppose I shall try them out if I carry out my plan next week to bring just the tablet, not the laptop, with me on my annual journey to Massachusetts. However, in that case, don't expect me to write long posts. After touch-typing my entire adult life, going back to tapping out one letter at a time, one finger at a time, on a virtual keyboard feels a bit like carving hieroglyphics in stone. Hmm, maybe that's one reason why this device is called a "tablet." :-P
(I seem to recall that last year was the first time since 1995 that I had NOT gone to the holiday gala, but now I cannot remember why I missed it. Perhaps I missed the deadline for reservations? Perhaps I was running out of money? Perhaps I was just in a funk over the deaths of a couple of people I knew? I certainly didn't bother to write it down in LJ/DW at the time.)
And, of course, there was one person in my professional group whom I knew in advance I wasn't going to see. Dammit, Pedro.
And this evening I went to a "happy hour" gathering to celebrate the successful launch, last week, of the Big Project at the Very Prestigious Institution. The one of which I was a small but necessary part. I had a great time catching up with people whom I hadn't seen since August. It was just so gratifying to be remembered and welcomed. (And, gee, it would be nice to get another contract to work there!)
I have also been playing with the new Android tablet, which I have named Tonks because the back side of the tablet is bright pink. (Tonks, if you read the Harry Potter books, was the young, punky witch whose hair turned different colors, including pink and purple.) I've downloaded both the official LJ app and the "ElJay" app, which apparently allows cross-posting among the journals with the same basic code. I suppose I shall try them out if I carry out my plan next week to bring just the tablet, not the laptop, with me on my annual journey to Massachusetts. However, in that case, don't expect me to write long posts. After touch-typing my entire adult life, going back to tapping out one letter at a time, one finger at a time, on a virtual keyboard feels a bit like carving hieroglyphics in stone. Hmm, maybe that's one reason why this device is called a "tablet." :-P
