Blogging from my Work Vacation

I'm having a great time on my work-vacation. Seriously, this is the most luxurious conference I've been to in my thirteen years of teaching. I'm at a golf-course resort hotel that looks like the grounds of Monticello and the food provided to us is similar to what you find on a cruise ship (I've heard that comparison more than once this week). I was told there would be continental breakfast and lunch provided each day, but this goes way beyond that. I've never had a continental breakfast that included fresh salmon, have you? And in the education world, "lunch provided" usually means a variation on box lunches, but the range of options here have included fried grouper, tandoori chicken, grilled mahi mahi, seafood wraps, couscous salad, black-eyed pea salad, fried green tomatoes, and an extensive salad and dessert bar. All with linen napkins, tablecloths, and servers who bring iced tea or water. And trust me, this isn't a comprehensive list either. They also provide morning and afternoon "snacks" such as hot spinach dip, hot crab dip, spring rolls, crudites platters and any number of cookies, candy, and chips. I'm really dreading getting on the scale when I go home.

I can't say much about the work I'm doing, as it's confidential, but it has been a fabulous opportunity to learn more about the content I teach. And meeting with other teachers around the state who teach the same subject I do has been great also. As a matter of fact, out of the eleven members of our committee, there are two knitters (counting me) and one crocheter! Pretty cool, huh?

I did knit night at The Yarn Lounge last night and they couldn't have been more welcoming. It's a beautiful shop and I'm looking forward to visiting it again now that S is going to attend VCU. I worked on the Hokie cowl but unfortunately, after I left I had a martini, continued to work on it, and made a fatal error, so now I'm starting at ground zero again. When will I learn? At least I still have the Evil Stepmother cowl, which is the one I'm working on during down time in my committee meeting. Knitting in the round, all the time, seems to be about all I'm capable of this week. Oh well, best laid plans and all that.