SVP '08

Oh! The annual meeting was so much fun! I'm still getting used to being home...it's like being in a totally different world with different friends, different styles. Here at home, there are relatively few people who have the same interests...and very few people who are comfortable being a little geeky. I live in a college town and everyone is too cool for school, if you know what I mean. It was so nice being surrounded by people who think dinosaurs/fossils are cool.

I'm also still catching up on my sleep and my assignments, both of which I neglected at the meeting. There were talks from 8 to 4 every day, poster sessions from 4 to 6 and various evening activities that went until my normal bedtime. And of course, everyone crowded into the lobby after the scheduled stuff and socialized/drank/partied until well past my bedtime. I got just a few hours of sleep each night...and I'm used to a solid 7 or 8.

The talks were really interesting, though many of them went over my head. I especially enjoyed the talks about dinosaur sinuses, ankylosaur tail clubs and mamenchisaurid limbs. Assuming that all that information was embargoed, I'm going to wait to go into more detail.

The best thing about the meeting, by far, was getting to meet everyone in person. Some of the fantastic people I got to spend time with: Zach, Julia, Paul, Lorin, Thomas and Thomas, Wayne, Jerry , Lisa, Matt and Matt, Neil, Dave, Andy, Patty, ReBecca and Scott. There were many many more, but I just can't name everyone!

Since pictures might do more justice that this shoddy summary, I'll post a few and leave it at that:





From left to right, top to bottom:
1) Paul, Julia and Lorin with Nanotyrannus at the welcome reception at the CMNH.
2) Matt Celeskey (HMNH) and Zach at the welcome reception at the CMNH.
3) Julia, Matt (Ask Dr. Vector), me and Neil with "Happy" the Haplocanthosaurus at the welcome reception at the CMNH.
4) Jerry Harris and I at the after-hours party.
5) Thomas Adams and Lisa Babilonia at the after-hours party.
6) Darrin Pagnac and Wayne Thompson at the after-hours party.
7) Lorin, Paul and Julia in the "cool kids" section at the back of the bus on the way to the CMNH.
8) Bloggers lunch crew: Thomas Holtz, Matt Wedel, Patty Ralrick, Andy Farke, Nick Gardner, Alton Dooley, J, me, Julia "Heathercote" Anderson, Jerry Harris, Matt Celeskey, Zach Miller, Scott Elyard and Neil Kelley.
9) Me and J at the awards banquet.