I am nearly finished packing two suitcases for trips to two very different parts of the country, climate wise. Headed to DC/Maryland tomorrow morning; back on Tuesday. Then I have fewer than 24 hours at home before my flight leaves for NOLA, where I'm going for an evening to help celebrate Sharon Crowley's retirement. It's hard to believe that Sharon is retiring; the field won't be the same. Let's just say that on all these plane trips I'll be dusting off my encomium-writing skills. Meantime, I'm really looking forward to seeing and meeting everyone at UMD!