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By Cheryl Heppner

Editor: Here's some more "convention flavor" stuff from Cheryl. And some great tips on suitcase-packing and caring for a hearing dog!

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My plane touched down at Dulles airport yesterday afternoon at about 3:45 pm. Mike Royer, an NVRC Board member, was on the flight and he looked out for me and my bags. It's good to get back into my home rhythms but I'm always sad to see the end of a good convention with a lot of learning opportunities and great people.

On my last day at the convention I was thinking about the adaptations I've made to be a smarter traveler. When I finally arrive at my destination, the first thing I do after checking in and depositing the bags in my room is to case the joint. I find the evacuation routes and the closest ice machine. I look for clean grass or mulch for Galaxy's needs, both at the hotel and the convention site. I look for safe play areas where I can give my high energy dog a real workout off leash, in a contained area, with a space big enough to run flat out for at least a short distance.

I plot the fastest way to reach the convention area and a slow, scenic way for the occasions I want more exercise. I check out all the nearby food sources for my meal options. I find the fitness room so I have a place to seriously unwind.

I convert the room to become my room. I'm clumsy as a lefty, so check to see if the hair dryer is on the right side to prevent self-strangulation; if it's not, I see what I can do to move it. I set up my "office" and get my computer connected.

Years ago I watched a roommate who was a frequent business traveler unpack, and I found that she mostly didn't. I marveled at the economy and now do what she does. The only things that come out of my suitcase are the jackets or blouses that need to be hung. I organize my suitcase in advance so I can just take and return the folded stuff as needed, and there's so much less work to pack it back up again.

Galaxy's food gets packed into a cooler for the trip. One big brick of blue ice is enough to keep it cold for a few hours on a plane; If there's extra space in the cooler, I fill it with old bubble wrap, for good insulation as well as protection. A small plastic frisbee goes on the top; turned upside down it gives a shallow container for Galaxy's drinking water. After Galaxy eats the food from the first container in the cooler, I wash it and use the bottom for a water bowl. The cooler stays inside the bathtub unless I'm using it, and I keep the cooler filled with ice throughout my stay. At the end of the convention, when the last of the food in the cooler is gone, I dry the cooler out and use it to take home the materials and freebies I've collected.

I was talking with some of the attendees as the convention drew to a close. Attendance was a good bit lower than last year and seemed far below the Washington, DC convention. I'm sure it was a big disappointment to the exhibitors, who had invested a lot of time and money to participate, and it's a shame more people couldn't experience all the wonderful opportunities. On the positive side, the smaller number of people made the convention feel more relaxed and there were more spontaneous conversations. There was no rush to move massive numbers of people in small spaces quickly to workshops or events. I could always find a table in the hotel restaurant. There were fewer voices to talk over and more quiet places. Oklahoma was a friendly place. I wish you could all have been there with me.

Lise Hamlin arrives home today and soon you will be getting her reports too!

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