Ireland on the Quick

Twit-like notes w/out the 140 character limit on my Irish working-holiday so far (Day 2):

• Trip over was fine, though I do not recommend Aire Lingus, or whatever the overly crowdy, loud, technology-deficient, non-entertaining Irish airline calls itself. Only 5.5 hrs, which feels odd for an international flight, as it would take me 6 hrs to fly to San Diego from Bos. Squished in tight seats between colleagues; good thing I like them fine.
• No sleep, so w/ five hour time change, arriving at 6 a.m. on Monday morning was a bit functionally challenging. Took city bus to University College Dublin, where the conference did not provide helpful signage, so walked around a lot before checking in. Saw swans on campus, so the answer is yes: there will be swans.
• Accommodations are simple and comfy: single bed individual rooms w/ own shower. Had breakfast w/ colleagues in cafeteria and all took separate naps.
• Went to evening sessions - keynote speaker, reception and banquet. Drank my semi-annual allotment of wine. Found speakers to be generally unimpressive, unless you count witty colleagues speaking casual conversation.
• There are odd birds in Dublin - common urban birds are much larger than where I come from; and I thought everything was bigger in Texas.
• Full day of sessions today. Every one I went to was disappointing in quality, though perhaps each one less so than the one before it. Was going to go to one more just now, but showed the description to my boss (who was already skipping this time period of sessions) and she said, "Oh, you'll hate that. It will drive you crazy. Don't go to that." So, while colleagues go back to dorms to freshen up, I'm using stand-up Interweb. We all think the 4:00 big session will be better than all the morning and afternoon ones so far. Why do academics pay all this money and travel all this way to give poorly organized, un-insightful presentations to crabby, critical colleagues??!!! (Oh, so they can tack on a vacation as long as they're over here.)
• Spent evening yesterday pushing one colleague around in borrowed wheelchair due to her arthritis. She was embarrassed (not entirely because I almost dumped her in the street trying to get up on the sidewalk more than once). Another conference attendee is using the UCD wheelchair today, so I hope my colleague is going to be okay. I feel badly for her with all this sitting in cramped quarters and walking.
• I said something silly while in line for lunch, colleague A asked me, "What did you say?" I said, "I was just being silly; not worth repeating." She said, "I'm seeing a whole new side of you I've never seen before." !!! She does not read my blob. FYI, I'm not nearly as silly as my boss.
• I miss my catties.
• Have not seen U2 yet, but am visiting a town on the West Coast known for traditional Irish music, so expect they'll be there waiting when arrive. {smiley face?}

Okay tag, siblings: time for you to post about your simultaneous trips to Miami and China.