Since we still have little kids who take a lot of energy to chase around the house, I'm lucky if Mrs. Shyster lets me get one or two boys' weekends away a year. Which is one or two more than she usually gets -- weekends away in general, I mean; I wouldn't allow her to have "boys' weekends" no matter how many kids we had -- so I shouldn't complain.In past years I've used my weekends wisely. In 2005 I went rafting on the Gauley River. In 2006 I went skiing in Jackson Hole and snowmobiling in Yellowstone. Last year I went to California for a long weekend to visit friends and watch baseball games. I don't get away much, but I tend to have fun when I do.
This year's little getaway is a bit different in that I'm only going as far as Cleveland. Not for its considerable beauty, mind you, but for the 38th annual SABR Convention at the end of the month. Though I've long been a fellow traveller, I am but a new member of the Good Society. I've never been to a convention before and don't know exactly what to do or what to expect. The schedule is up now. If anyone has any insight on how I should spend my time (i.e. what on the schedule looks good on paper but probably sucks and vice-versa) please feel free to chime in below. I'm going to the Reds-Indians game on Friday night, and I imagine I'm going to schlep my laptop up there and blog some of it, but beyond that I have no plan and, really, no clue.
If you're going, I'll be the lost looking bald guy pretending to talk on my cell phone because I'm actually kind of shy in these sorts of settings. I'll wear a name tag though, so please come and talk to me and tell me to chill the hell out.
If you're going, I'll be the lost looking bald guy pretending to talk on my cell phone because I'm actually kind of shy in these sorts of settings. I'll wear a name tag though, so please come and talk to me and tell me to chill the hell out.
5 comments:
i hear cleveland's lake has a one of a kind pyrotechnics display. perhaps you'll be lucky enough to catch one of them while youre there.
I noticed that the Indians-Reds game is on the schedule for the entire conference. I suspect that many others will also take their laptops along to the game, and it strikes me as funny that this Indians-Reds matchup may be the most blogged baseball game in the history of sports.
Craig...I'll be the guy feverishly crossing out his name on the tag.
See you there!
Although I cannot recommend that you attend any particular session on the schedule, here's something to file under general convention/conference advice: Attend the sessions with good speakers/presenters. When you attend based on topic, you can get mixed results (as you recognize in your post). A good speaker/presenter can make any subject entertaining and interesting.
I think the research committees stuff looks interesting ( well, not quite all of it, some is arcane even by my geeked out standards ), don't know if non members are allowed to sit in...
Don't think I'll be goin ( missed it in Toronto a handful of years ago because my kids were too young ) but I've always thought that the company of other baseball geeks would be the most appealing aspect of it ( and the game of course ). I rarely discuss baseball face to face because most people I know are not at all or casually interested in it...so SABR might be fun that way...
Aaron Gleeman wrote some stuff and posted some photos of a trip to SABR and I was left with the impression that he and his posse drank way too much and talked a lot of ball, sounds like a blast.
Any good bands in Cleveland that weekend? My favorite OH band is The Cowslingers.
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