An Ennigramatic Dream

Initial sense that people in California are a lot nicer than people in Chicago, certain a lot nicer than people on the east coast. A hearty greeting from the people in the elevator, from the guy sitting next to me on the plane.

The roads are wider here, it's legal to uturn, the street crossing lights tweet at you like a bird when it's ok to walk.

Geeks, it's already six in the morning but I can feel the geeks coming out of hiding. My people! I have a love hate relationship with 'my people'. I feel a part of them, but separate from them. I admire the intellectualism, the unpretentiousness, the focus on innovation, the humor (my people are funny, we are the funny behind the internets). I do sometimes wish that they'd present themselves better, take some time to attend to their physical fitness and their clothes, not be so damn, well, geeky.

My typical day here goes something like: wake up around 6, go downstairs to the hotel bar/restaurant area and grab coffee. Then seminar starts at 8:30, there are 1-2 classes in the morning til noon, then lunch, then more seminar til 5 in the afternoon. I can't wait til K. and N. arrive tonight - I can't stand being alone these days, drives me crazy. At night I work out at the hotel gym, have a couple drinks at the hotel bar, usually wine, ordering room service, which is expensive but a nice luxury. The important thing is being as present as possible at the seminar. Been loving this really, despite the place being too cold, and some of the speakers being boring. Learning a lot, learning a lot about what I don't know, learning a lot about how what I know and what we do on the job is hopelessly out of date. Feel inspired to go home and read 50 books and lock myself in my room and program. Have not gone outside much, except to run a little bit. This place is an industrial wasteland - there's not many restaurants or stores within walking distance, you have to wait forever for the lights to change.