ABLE Bioblog

First, a big thank you to the conference hosts. We said it at the banquet (pictured here), I’ve said it on this blog, I’ve told them in person, and I’m saying it again. What a great meeting!!  I really enjoyed my sessions (podcasting, stream ecology, bean beetles, and all my mini-workshops come to mind).  I’ll get some pictures posted by July (ah-hem…that means I need yours!).

It was also great to have so many new people there. I enjoyed talking to and meeting some of them (I think we had around 45? We’re producing a video/podcast with interviews of some). Having so many eating places, fairly close, on Main Street was nice (so many more I wanted to try, but you can only eat and drink so much in 5 days!). Oh, and all the hype (and rightfully so) surrounding our push to next year’s conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, kept me excited also.

ABLE is a great bunch of folks, even without their biology expertise. Now, I’m just trying to find a way to come off of my high from the conference. I mean sure, I could go out every night this week and drink until 2 am, or immerse myself in trying new labs from previous Proceedings, or try to find free food and friendly faces on campus while wearing a name tag…but I think I should just get back to my real job. Perhaps next year I’ll run a debriefing session as a final mini-workshop to help myself and others come down from our mountaintop biology experience. (Better yet, I’ll just stay in Halifax a bit longer and enjoy myself!)

mark

What a conference!  Again, great sessions today (our mini-workshops). My only complaint is that the late nights and seafood from last night are catching up to me. I am so sore and tired. I am still grateful for the walks I’ve had though to help me stay in shape. Posters today were great too. I enjoyed reading several and talking to presenters (even saw my name and a paper I published cited on one!  That was exciting).

Tonight’s closing banquet promises to be another great event. Although, you may find me asleep in some serene, soft-grassed spot in the gardens. Wake me up for dinner, would ya?!

mark

ABLErs with their giant cell phones at Deer Park Tavern

I’m riding to the Thursday PM Ecology major workshop right now; they have wireless internet access on the UD buses! I applaud you blue hens. Further I want to take this time to mention the excellent food I just had at Kildare’s Irish pub (they didn’t pay me for that). I may have to go back there tonight…especially after my poor experience with an Amaretto Sour (what? It’s not a girl’s drink!!?!) at Deer Park Tavern last night. To be fair, our 3-week veteran waitress was very nice and did finally get the bartender to add more amaretto. Unfortunately, my esophagus was already slightly burned. In the end, this is a good thing…reminding me to talk less and listen during my excellent Bean Beetle session this morning.

Mark

I wonder if students ever come into this building howling?  I’m tempted to, but in deference to my respect for ABLE, I’ll refrain. In the meantime, I’ll focus my rebellious energies on thinking of new ideas for making ABLE a better organizations as I listen to the board reports. Let me take this chance to say…VOLUNTEER! We have committees that need your help and do all the “work” of our organization (website, membership, publicity, workshop/poster committees, and more). I can tell you it gives me great joy to help this wonderful organization, and we’d love you to join in!  Contact our president or me if you have inquiries!

Mark W.
webmanager@ableweb.org

Well…not in the same room. That would be a technology no-no (especially if you got the “hard-boiled eggs” at breakfast this morning that were actually raw).  But, breakfast was great with so much food, getting to meet more new members, and anticipating today’s workshops. So, here we are, after a 23-minute walk to our Podcasting Session at the library. Most exciting is that Paul Hyde is letting us choose Mac or PC for our production work.  Thanks, Paul!  (Notice how I say nothing about my preference…mostly because we all know Macs are better…)

Hope other attendees are enjoying their sessions (for those of you not here, hope you’re doing something else useful).

  Mark