Hi. I decided not to go to ALA in Orlando today. I'm conflicted about this, but after looking at my workload at work and at home, talking to some more friends, and planning out all the travel, it just seemed like a lot of travel, air-time and couch-surfing in FLA for two Council meetings and one short post-conference talk. I changed my flights and now I'm only going to a wedding that weekend in Chicago. Contributing factors to this decision were:

1. lack of funding from work - with the exception of four hours professional leave and a gracious shifting of hours enabling me to attend at all this was going to be all on my own dime and it wasn't going to be cheap.
2. lack of low-cost accomodations in Orlando - I had two roomshares and was seeking one more but unlike Toronto there are fewer hostels and other cheapie places a public transpo ride away. Schlepping your laptop-laden backpack around through 90 percent humidity is hell on earth.
3. airline vagaries - because of flight schedules I was going to get to Orlando Monday night and have to leave Thursday afternoon which means I missed most of the stuff I wanted to attend in order to attend 2 out of 3 of the things I should attend.
4. responsibility issues - it was becoming clear to me that going through insane hassles to get to Council meetings was not what "You should go to all Council meetings" strictly means. People expect other people to be reasonable, I'm just unreasonable with myself sometimes.

So, since I'm an At-Large Councilor to at least some of you, I wanted to explain and somewhat apologize. All friends have been put on notice that there are to be no more weddings during my very important meetings. I will not only be in Boston during Midwinter, I live a few hours north of there, so please send all travel inquiries my way, or plan a side trip to my house in Vermont afterwards.