Holy Tempe, Batman!

My first minor victory of the conference has been to establish a dial-up connection from my room via NetZero using my AT&T calling card. (The alternative was to call NetZero long distance, for which the hotel charges operator-assisted rates plus a 40% surcharge.)

Translation 1 is on its way, and I am running through my presentation, which so far is in need fo remarkably few changes.

If I can put translation 2 in the can this morning, I will. That will leave me free to enjoy the rest of the conference without having an axe hanging over my head (an idea that inspires childhood memories of "Officer" Joe Bolton!).

Anyway... back to work!

Cheers...

Uh, oh...

I posted an entry from the conference earlier this afternoon, but it apparently has been lost somewhere along the way. In the final analysis, it's no big deal, but it does give one pause.

I spent most of the morning on the presentation and the translations. I finished both translations and sent the one due today; I have yet to review the second translation, and there are inherent problems associated with the review (I took along translation files, but not other files that I need, as it turns out). Actually, having problems with the review sort of takes things out of my hands to a certain extent.

The SLD meeting went off without a hitch, and the fact that we only had 45 minutes was something of a plus, as the time pressure kept us on our toes. I am, as expected, the new Administrator of the division, swapping positions with Nora F., who is now the Assistant Administrator. I've hardly done anything at all, but already people are congratulating me for doing a fine job (as former Assistant Administrator, I suppose).

It is probably my imagination, but the lighting at the conference center is fairly low key. The room in which we held the division meeting was dim. Later, I went to check out the room in which I'll be doing my presentation tomorrow, and it's lighting level is almost cave-like .

The exhibitors this year are a typical mix of folks hawking software to aid in doing translation, companies that perform various kinds of translation services, a few book dealers (who appear to conspire in not bringing Russian dictionaries to the show), and outfits such as the Monterey Institute, the Department of State, and the FBI.

Earlier in the evening, several of us had dinner with this year's Greiss lecturer, whose name escapes me at the moment. A good time was had by all, and Jim W. continues to surprise me, pleasantly, with his forthrightness.

Time to get ready to sleep. I figure I'll review the translation tomorrow morning, and then do one last run-through of the presentation before leaving for the conference center with all my junk. Once the presentation is finished, I'll be able to relax (more of less).

Cheers...