[in transit]

at this point in my life, conferences are like reunions. i've traveled often enough, in the last 10 years, that i've met many now-familiar faces in the field.

so far it's a pleasant time. rice university is a well-kept campus, beautiful. it's good to see old friends again.

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that said, not everything has gone well or according to plan:

1. in the morning i woke at 4am to make a 6am flight;
2. having arrived by 9am and with the late morning free, i decided to go on a 30 minute run around houston .. but having gotten lost, it became a 50 minute run.

it could be worse, i suppose. between rumors and folklore, we managed to find a good source of coffee on campus and the organizers are on top of things, with plenty of restaurant advice and precise directions to the right university buildings.

so far this trip has been worth writing the substitute lectures .. which, to regular readers, is something nontrivial. (-: