A Brief Note before Heading to San Antonio for AWP

Yesterday was a humdinger of a day; it was also a day where I got a lot done, working steadily while being interrupted to solve a variety of problems and answer lots of questions.  I got files constructed, filing done, minutes written, e-mails sent, lots of office clean up done that the disruptions of past weeks had precluded.

Yesterday was a humdinger of a day because there were rumors of AWP cancellation.  I wrote to my grad school friend early, and we decided that we weren't cancelling.  By yesterday morning, I'd heard of many individuals cancelling.  By yesterday afternoon, rumors were flying about the conference itself being cancelled.

By then it would have been too late for me to cancel my hotel reservation without paying for a night.  I decided that I would fly to San Antonio anyway--might as well see the city, a place I've always wanted to visit, since I'm going to pay for a night at a fancy hotel anyway.  Or should I?  I'm flying Southwest, so I could use the airline ticket later.  Except that I'm not really flying much these days, and Southwest isn't an easy airline to use to fly to see my parents, my other main flight destination.

Happily the conference isn't cancelled, although I'm no longer sure what to expect.  Will panels be cancelled?  That might be disappointing.  Unlike some years, I'm not travelling with my conference agenda already determined--I haven't even looked at the offerings.  Some years there have been authors I really wanted to see, like Colson Whitehead last year.  This year I don't even know who was planning to be there, so I won't be disappointed--maybe.

I have my sketchbook packed, along with my purple poetry legal pad.  I have books to read and walking shoes and extra socks.  I haven't packed wipes or any other ways of disinfecting.  I know that I am lucky, in that I have a healthy immune system, and I'm in good health.

My spouse stays behind to hold down the house and his teaching jobs.  I feel more fretful about that fact than any risk to myself.

Well, it's almost time to head to the airport.  Let me see what life is like in other parts of the U.S.  I'm taking my computer with me, and hoping to continue to blog.