Okay, really I was there for work, but while it was a very interesting and valuable scientific review session, you don’t really want to hear the details. The panel worked very hard, and we spent many hours a day discussing the project we were reviewing, and the whole process has sparked some new research projects and collaborations, so all is well.
The meeting was held in Nebraska City, at the Lied Lodge. The lodge has ties to the Arbor Day Foundation (Arbor Day began right there), and has a strong focus on environmental sustainability. It’s also attractive, cozy, and has pretty good food.
I dodged the weather getting there (and getting back). The ice storm hit the day after I arrived.
It coated the trees. And the sidewalks, and the roads, and pretty much everything.
Most of my time was spent in the conference room, and really, a hotel conference room could be in any city in the world. They all look alike, and it doesn’t really matter anyway. In my brief bits of spare time, though, I took full advantage of the fireplace and squishy chairs. You can see the glow of the fireplace past the stairwell.
This is the same room, from the other side of the freestanding giant brick chimney. There was a fireplace and comfy chairs tucked away in the nook between the back of the chimney and the windows, but that fireplace was unlit and thus not worthy of my limited time, despite the windows.
As part of their environmental initiative, the Lodge has paper shades on all the lights (shading compact fluorescents, of course). They cast a warm glow over everything that reinforced the perception of “warm and cozy”, and played beautifully on the golden wood beams and posts that were everywhere.
Now I’m home, and the weather is just as bad. We got several inches of snow, sleet and ice, and the wind is whipping around the house. No cozy fireplace, no cushy chairs, and worst of all, no maid service. I’ve had a cat on my lap and a dog on my feet for most of the weekend, though, and I’d put that up against most any fireplace. But you know, it wouldn’t be that much work to put in one of those gas burners, and I’m sure the cat would approve.
