So, after three fun-filled days, and four even more fun-filled nights, my little detour is over, and I’m now back in the UK for a few weeks to enjoy the ‘summer’. Hanging out with the Sciblings was quite a surreal experience in many ways. These people are so much more talented and important than I am, and yet somehow there I was as one of the gang. I even got to meet Steve Steve! But the really strange, yet wonderful, thing has been the way that the whole weekend felt like a reunion of old friends, despite many of us never having met before. The fact that so many of us were willing to come so far for no real purpose beyond sharing a few drinks with each other should have been a clue that our shared passion for science, and blogging, had already (with a little help from Seed) formed us into a real community. I suppose Bora would call it a vindication of Web 2.0…
Anyway, some of the high-achievers of the weekend need to be suitably recognised for their efforts in making the weekend what it was, so without further ado I bring you the first (and hopefully not the last) Scibling Meet-up Medals of Honour, awarded to those who, intentionally or otherwise, provided the entertainment for the rest of us.
The hostess with the Mostest: GrrlScientist, who not only very kindly allowed me to crash on her floor for a few nights (for which I should probably also thank her birds), but also took time out to show me around the city and keep me entertained prior to everyone else’s arrival. And all this despite the fact that prior to when I showed up on her doorstop on Wednesday night, she probably didn’t really know who I was at all.
Fastest foreigner to get offered a green card: Mo. Quite why his English accent garners marriage proposals from random kiosk vendors whilst mine does not is a mystery I’m not entirely sure that I want to solve.
Weekend’s most bemused expression: PZ’s, when the rather inebriated trio of myself, Grrl, and Mo descended upon his hotel room at 1.30am on Friday morning to drag him to a seedy bar across the street. I fear that he may have got entirely the wrong impression of me…
Most mild-mannered real-life alter-ego: Everyone talks about how surprisingly soft-spoken PZ is, but in the flesh Zuska is as lovely a person as you could ever hope to meet, further proof – as if any was needed – that those who attract her ire really do deserve it.
Most satisfying mystery explained: Orac, who explained how he escaped an obscure early 80s BBC science fiction show to a US doctor’s office via the medium of early morning PBS reruns.
Ultimate Karaoke moment: Razib, who put the power back in the power ballad – and took the ballad out.
Most mispronounced word: a tie-up between ‘allochthonous’ and James Hrynyshyn’s surname. Everyone’s larynxes should just be thankful that he doesn’t author this blog.
Most clinical jukebox selection method: Janet. You may or may not be able to tell that she’s holding a notebook here:
Scariest NY story: Mike, recounting the time when his ambulance was mistaken for the SWAT team by the bad guys.
Most expert cat-herding: Katherine, Ginny, and the rest of Seed, who somehow managed to not only convince everyone that they wanted to turn up for Saturday brunch after a very late Friday night, but also that we might want to have some sort of serious conversation whilst we were there. I think I failed in that last part, but then I was sitting with Kevin and Karmen, so I’d submit that it’s not my fault.
Most roundabout route to finally meeting up: having spectacularly failed to rendevous when she was over in South Africa a couple of months ago, I finally managed to meet Sheril.
Key quotes:
- ‘It’s only a couple of blocks…’
- ‘Hang on… what’s happened to the camera I’ve already bought?’
- ‘So what does allochthonous mean again?’
- ‘But I like Meatloaf…’
- ‘To evil!’
- ‘I think our next bar should be a real dive.’
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