What An Adventure!

Our Name Badges and Ribbons

So I'm thinking that you all have been waiting for me to get back from the NGS conference that was held in Salt Lake City last week. I'll bet you're thinking that I've got lots of stories and information to share with you about my trip. Man oh man do I ever!

I have to tell you, even after all my careful planning the first day didn't start off as well as expected. I over-slept and ended up boarding the plane 5 minutes before take-off. In my rush I left my laptop and flash drives at home.

The day got even more awesome when I phoned the hotel for the shuttle. The driver did not see me the first time he came to pick up guests of the hotel. The second time I did everything in my power to make sure that did not happen again. When I saw the van approaching I stood in the middle of the street and flapped my arms up and down. Not one of my better ideas. I must have scared him because when he passed me and just kept going I threw my tote bag at the van. What? I was in the middle of a hormonal meltdown.

Not wanting to accept defeat, I came up with yet another brilliant plan. I went into the restroom and changed my clothes, put my hair up and donned sunglasses. I felt like a super-hero in reverse - I changed INTO a mild mannered normal person. Worked like a charm. He didn't recognize me and I got to the hotel in one piece.

The rest of the day was great. My roommate Donna Pointkouski - What's Past Is Prologue - and Steve Danko - Steve's Genealogy Blog - took me on a hike around downtown Salt Lake City. This is the point where I became aware of how out of shape I am. One block and I am huffing and puffing, my calves are burning worse than the hot flashes I seem to be having every 10 minutes. We had a great Italian dinner, great conversation (we may have solved some of the world's problems) and then it was back to the hotel for the night.

Tuesday was spent in the Family History Library - need I say more?

In the evening I attended the APG Roundtable Discussion. The topic was "How to Increase Earnings by Opening More Options to Attract Potential Clients." The panelists were Natalie Cottrill of ProGenealogists, Karen Clifford course instructor for Family History Studies at Monterey Peninsula College and publisher of Genealogy Research Associates, and Alvie Davidson private investigator of Florida Detective.

A quick get-together for a group photo of ProGen participants and alumni topped the evening off.

Wednesday was a day full of presentations by top notch speakers. I attended the Tom Jones one on "Five Ways to Prove Who Your Ancestor Was" and "Smith & Jones: How To Cope with Families of Common Name" by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

Kathryn Doyle, Daniel Horowitz and Me

I spent the rest of the day cruising the exhibit hall with Kathryn Doyle ( aka Sister Mary Kitty) in search of chocolate and familiar faces and more chocolate. Have I mentioned yet that it was snowing most of the time I was in Salt Lake City? That's right - it is the end of APRIL and it is snowing! Kathryn took the photo below of snow in my hair. It sure doesn't take much to amuse us! For those who may not know, Kathryn is the author of the California Genealogical Society blog, the San Francisco Bay Area Genealogy Calendar and the creator of the Carnival of Genealogy Societies .

People I spent time with today: Daniel Horowitz from My Heritage , Dean Richardson from Genlighten , Ron Aarons the author of the new book "The Jews of Sing Sing" , Gena Ortega - Gena's Genealogy Blog, Madaleine Laird - kinfolit blog , Jean Hibben - Circle Mending , Dear Myrtle

Real snowflakes in my hair!