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At Yet Another Conference

It hasn't actually started yet, that's a little later today. So what is this post about?

1) Traveling grows more difficult with age, primarily in terms of stamina. I do have two artificial knees so there's that as well.

2) I still love seeing new cities. I've been to Houston once before in 1979 for a couple of days on a university band tour so it's nice to be back without a clarinet.

3) I love seeing my tribe en masse. I've made mathematics my career for many many decades and my folk have their own culture and way of looking at life. I anticipate seeing old friends and discussing things without the usual how-do-I-translate-my-enthusiasm-for-an-outsider preoccupation.

4) I live a very structured, disciplined life, by choice. I am greedy in what I hope to accomplish in the time afforded me and never presume that I've got time to burn, knowing more and more folk who do not make it to my age. Work conferences are about the only time when I'm off the clock for being a family member/friend/university professor.

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