San Francisco, Cali-for-ni-ay

I'm leaving tomorrow for a four-day trip to San Francisco.  My friend Bob and I are giving a presentation about dyslexia at a conference for educational consultants.  Though I am not enthusiastic about public speaking, I do sort of miss doing this kind of thing.  It keeps me sharp, and it's a trip outside my comfort zone.  It's also good to network with other people in my field. This will be a good conference to spread the word about Kildonan because it's not an LD conference; they are so often frequented by schools like Kildonan that it feels like preaching to the choir.  This mission involves educating professionals who are in the business of recommending schools for all kinds of children.  Even if they've never seen a dyslexic kid before (ha, SO unlikely), they're bound to at some point.  Maybe, just maybe, the first school they'll think of will be Kildonan.  

I'm a bit nervous, not just about the presentation, but about the trip itself.  I've only been away to one conference since Duncan was born.  Last September, I went to Baltimore for a workshop of Fellows of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators.  In a very humbling manner, Jamie and Duncan did just fine without me.  This trip, though, is a little longer, a little farther away, and involves more school days.  Parts of the day where Jamie and I tag-team house and Duncan chores will be all Jamie's territory so it will not be an easy time for him. To compound my general anxiety, Duncan came home today cranky and whiny.  I cannot count with my fingers the number of times he cried (including at least 3 all-out tantrums) between 4:45 and 7:30.  That makes leaving even more difficult.  I hope there will be male bonding and hot dog parties (a la The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog).

To be realistic, I will probably have fun too, albeit guilty fun.  Bob and I have a good time traveling together, and I love San Francisco.  There's not really much at the conference that applies to us so we can probably take a whole day to sight-see and seek out sourdough bread and Ghirardelli chocolate (and presents for Duncan and my students).  I know that once I'm in the car, I'll feel a lot better; preparing to leave is always the worst part of a trip.  And so I am off...5:30 will come early, and I should probably start trying to sleep soon.  Hopefully, I'll be able to post from SF so I'll see you from the West Coast!

(I was a little link-happy, wasn't I?)