In Which We Could Have Crashed the Funeral

When the guard asked, the person in front of us said he was camping. Vivian followed close behind, and I kept just as close in her footsteps. I’m sure we looked like a group, so the guards scarcely looked up when they let us into the area lining The Mall, where mourners were spending the […]

In Which I Don’t Get Lost

September 16, 2022 Conference day today. That means plenty of time spent sitting in hard, uncomfortable chairs and processing information, both new and old. And that means a mostly boring conference lunch. Still, there’s just something great about international conferences, learning different perspectives and other approaches to similar problems. This is my first conference since […]

My First Task In London Is Shopping

I’ve said it before and I’ll reiterate that sentiment: conferences aren’t great fodder for blogs. I’ll further state that neither is sleep deprivation, which has been an issue over the last week leading up to this trip. I’m once again in London, bidden to come here by a conference. This is the same conference I […]

Unpacking from the Trip I Didn’t Take

Greetings, readers! Labor Day is now well behind us and the summer days are winding to a close. This means the rains of fall have returned to Ann Arbor, night is falling quickly, the overnight temperatures are dipping ever further toward winter, and the morning drive is darker. I can feel the seasons pressing forward […]

London Calling

I didn’t truly know what I was seeing, but I had a hunch. When I booked this itinerary, I wasn’t entirely enthusiastic about a 12 hour layover in London. I’ve been to this city twice and just haven’t fallen in love with it. Still, I spoke with some friends who are enamored with her and […]

The Tradition of Hazardous Climbs Continues

I just don’t have nearly enough time here. London is huge and there are an incredible number of things to see and do. I’ve studiously avoided things I did during my last visit here, and I still haven’t even really begun to scratch the surface. And today is my only full day, because I leave […]