I am back from Atlanta and am still in a daze from so many interesting and intellectually challenging conversations, fantastic music, late night gabfests with good friends, a little too much drink and way too little sleep. The comforting reality of daily living is already bringing me off the conference high and helping me to regroup, reground myself and get things done.

I went to many fewer papers than I usually do and talked to about a billion and one people about jobs. Some of the conversations were very, very good. I was stunned to know that there are employed persons out there who have heard of my work. Some of these persons are on search committees. This is very good. I went down there feeling barely qualified for the job market. I am coming back feeling like I�m on the A-List. I�m sure I�ll get over that feeling in a day or two, when I sit down to try to get my applications out. But it was an awfully fun few days.

My paper also went well. It was well attended, thanks to a couple of bigwigs who were also presenting. And one of said bigwigs was very interested and asked for a copy, as did four or five other people. This is also very good.

But the best parts were the many conversations with many interesting and generous people. And then there was the craziness of the celebratory banquet � academics love to make fun of what they do, but academic parodies have got to be about the most esoteric genre of anything that you�ve ever heard. For example, someone had seen fit to set the entire history of our organization in comic verse and recited it from the stage. We all laughed uproariously, just as we did at the story of the founding of the organization told by in operetta. I am sure you, however, would have rolled your eyes to be among such total geekiness. Moreover, it would have, no doubt, been virtually incomprehensible to almost anyone who was not in that room.

My husband and AJ met me at the airport. AJ caught sight of me from across the baggage claim and came running towards me at full tilt, arms outstretched. It�s always nice to come home. Unfortunately, I don�t have very long to enjoy it. We leave on Tuesday morning for the two day drive down to my parents�, where we will stay for two days before turning around and driving home again. It is crazy, but it is family and it is Thanksgiving. I�m looking forward to snuggling in the back seat with AJ to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I sure missed him.

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