Educase, the first two days.

Well, I'm in Boulder. I didn't bring my laptop along which I thought would preclude me from blogging, but hey this hotel is equipped with a couple of nice HPs! :) Oh, and pardon a few of the photos, it's a new camera so they're a bit blurry as I've been learning it's quirks as I go.

Anyways, got to the SB airport at 5:30 Saturday morning. This is where the first fun part of my trip appeared when I learned that my name is on the 'Do Not Fly' list. No real inconvenience for me beyond 15 minutes in a line. But as I'm hoping to go on a Japan trip next year I'll have to keep this in mind.

Have I mentioned that this list doesn't seem very useful? The whole screening process is actually borderline absurd really. I mean, come on, statistically speaking they would be better off just profiling the passengers and going after the backgrounds that are jihadi-oriented, not 5 year old blonde girls (one of the conferees here had her daughter pulled aside for the 'detailed search').

Your tax dollars misappropriated people.

But anyway, the plane was a very nice Canadaair SRJ (I think) 200. The flight lasted two hours and was rather pleasent, only two screaming kids and they were silent for most of the flight.

We arrived in Denver and two things came to mind. First, how flat the Plains really are. I've never been out here and 'wow'...what a weirdly flat horizon.

The second thing was how there was nothing near the airport. I'm used to LAX, Burbank, and all the LA airports...with buildings and offices right adjacent to the property. This looked more like it was set in a MadMax world.

But that's neither here nor there...I'm just showing my geology bias for actually liking mountains.

Inside the airport is another matter. The thing was huge! I got off the plane, up into a loading terminal...into a main terminal, down three moving sidewalks, through a virtual mall, and finally road a train before I got to the actual terminal. Any bigger and I would have needed a connection flight from the tarmac to the terminal.

The fountain was a nice touch too, greets you when you come up from the train. Again, compared to LAX, this place is rather cool and a bit intimidating. Too bad I don't fly more. Anyways, after about an hour I caught a van ride into Boulder. One of the Faculty for Educause was on the van, so we talked a bit.

The hotel itself is fantastic, an old Victorian hotel with newer additions that still look like the hotel at large. Lots of wood panelling, rich decorations and the like. I'm very happy to be here.

The rain's kept me pretty locked up though. It's been pretty steady during the day but is supposed to let up tomorrow so I'll see more of Boulder.

Also the food here is wonderful, if a bit 'yuppie'.

The conference started today and is filled with a myriad of wonderful people. I've learned quite a bit so far and today was merely introductions. I can't wait to see what we do over the rest of the conference.

More tomorrow.