Met Them in St. Louis

Began the day with a sumptuous breakfast at the headquarters hotel for the CCCC conference, with Paul and Sev Friskney. Then we got an overview of downtown by riding the Downtown Trolley for its whole route. Sev, who's been playing the role of tour host for our travels, posed at the front of the bus to firm up her image.
Evelyn and Paul went to workshops all afternoon, and Sev and I decided to check out Union Station to see if it's a site all of us needed to see. Verdict: We didn't all need to see it.

Sev and I rode the Downtown Trolley to get close to Union Station and then walked all the way back to the convention center afterwards, with a pretty good view of the arch and passing flower beds full of beautiful blooming tulips.

This evening the four of us went to the City Museum, an eclectic mix of salvaged architectural wonders with mazes, caves, and tunnels perfect for 12-year-olds to climb on, hide in, and crawl through--all accompanied by hollers, laughs, and general loudness.
Before and after the museum we ate at the 12th Street Diner. Great burgers for dinner and yummy desserts before we returned to our rooms.

OK, blog readers, you can guess WHAT this dessert is . . . and WHO ordered it!

Teachers Conference

These are apartments, just a couple of
blocks from the convention center. 

This is conference week for Evelyn and me. Monday through Wednesday I was at the NEXT Conference in California. Now I'm in St. Louis with Evelyn who's attending the Conference on College Composition and Communication, sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English.
The morning and early afternoon were chilly and rainy. First task: buy an umbrella. Second task: find the room for Evelyn's first workshop. Third task: find a deli to grab some lunch for Evelyn and me to eat in the 30 minutes between her first workshop and her second workshop.
I spent the afternoon in our hotel room: did some editing, played on Facebook, answered e-mails. Evelyn was in and out between workshops, and then we met Paul and Sev Friskney to enjoy a very nice dinner together. (Paul's attending the conference too.)

"We're going to be in
Taylor Made," Sev said after
agreeing to pose with Paul
for a picture.

I haven't seen all of downtown St. Louis, but the area around the convention center and its headquarters hotel, the Renaissance, is kind of cool. Restaurants, a few (very few) shops, and a Whole Foods-type grocery, Culinaria, where Evelyn and I grabbed some granola packets and a banana for her breakfasts and two cookies for a bedtime snack.
A nice day. An important discussion may happen at work tomorrow that I may wish I was there for. But, on the other hand, maybe it's good that I'm not. I'll weigh in on that after I know how it turns out.