Praise.

The conference was really great this afternoon. I skipped out on the morning sessions to sleep in and spent time with the various people living in my apartment (either temporarily or permanently). The Dutch people left for Hunstville, Ontario around 10am. Have a great time in Canada, EH and D!!

After a good lunch at the conference and catching up with some historian friends and one of my supervisors, I took in two excellent panels on gender, sexuality, imperialism, etc. All the papers were really interesting and quite varied within the conference themes. Very inspiring and impressive all 'round. I think I should be involved in organizing next year's conference. I think it would be a very rewarding experience, and important for keeping the conference going. (Not that there wouldn't be other people to do it, but you know.)

It's also been really interesting to see the students/recent grads who are a few years ahead of me and very impressive. Impressive in so many different ways. They were always smart and warm and stylish people, but I think they've gotten more so since I first met them. At least, I hope so, because it gives me hope for my own growth over the next few years!! Seriously, though, they are awesome, and I have high hopes for them are individuals and scholars. What a great crew they are. I wish them well on the job market.

While I'm on the subject of impressive history students, there are others, of course. But most of the grad students who are involved in things around the department are women. Some of the men are lovely and involved and marvelous, but they are very few. I find this sad and inexplicable. Why don't more men want to join in and make the department a better place for us all? It's so rewarding and great fun for those of us who do things. Oh well.

At the end of the last session I hung around long enough to be offered food leftovers. I swear this wasn't my plan, but it worked out great. I came home with tons of stuff, enough to feed (with a couple additions) four of us dinner tonight. I know this is a little iffy, but thanks, conference organizers! We very much appreciated it, and our guests were jealous of what good catering us historians get.

After dinner we watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." That's such a good movie. Very unexpected.