A Fresh Start

I’m registered therefore I am, as Descartes once put on a postcard home.

All togged up in my official 25th National Narrow Gauge Convention denim shirt (XL, short sleeve, $35) and with my ID badge (complete with its nice, blue Exhibitionist Exhibitor tag), it’s just a shame that nothing actually starts until 7pm.

Well, that’s not 100% true. CC will be arriving around lunchtime and there’ll be general wandering about, eating and chatting, but the main events kick off at 7.

I’ve circled quite a few of the clinics that are being held by experts of the next few days (my first two being at 7 and 8:15 tonight), including a couple that are only taking the first n people to register - one of the advantages of arriving 2 days before the convention meant that I was at the registration desk when it opened for business.

I made touch with Howie last night and he’ll be collecting me tomorrow at 10 for a day’s sightseeing culminating in a soccer football match somewhere or other in darkest Michigan. He was outraged at the suggestion that he seems to have picked up a bit of the local accent but it’s definitely the case - a few consonan’s seem t’ have disappeared from the speech patterns I recall. I won’t harp on about this tomorrow, of course, in case he abandons me somewhere without public transport (i.e. anywhere in Michigan).

Right now, though, it’s time to hit the maul and try to get hold of some penicillin - I’ve got the nagging feeling that tooth infection didn’t quite clear itself up and I’ll rather nip any return in the bud.