There were a great many social distractions to choose from last night. I started the evening out at the SLA Awards Reception on the USS Constellation. The ship is very cool to walk around, particularly seeing just how small the officers’ quarters really were. They did have their own little rooms while the rest of the crew slept dormitory-style in hammocks, but the quarters were very small and cell-like.
The open bar was also a nice aspect of the evening. Throughout the night I found that if you cheerily ask the bartender to make you a fruity rum drink, they are more than happy to oblige. Thanks to getAbstract, Inc. for their generous sponsorship of this event. They are a brand new sponsor and have been very good to us this year.
Following the Awards Reception, I headed back over to the National Aquarium for the LexisNexis party. There was only another hour or so left by the time I got there, so I grabbed another fruity rum drink and made my way quickly through the exhibits. There wasn’t a DJ or dance floor, which, while a bit disappointing, did give me a chance to see a bit of the aquarium.
Leaving there just before 11, I decided to head back to the Hyatt. I was supposed to meet a few people at the IT Division’s Pirate Dance Party. What a sight that was!!! I had no idea, but a total of 3 different people informed me when I got there that the SLA conference is known to have 2 great dance parties: the Dialog Party and the IT Division. I got there so late that they only played 3 more songs before ending the party, but it looked like an absolute RAGER!!! Who knew? A whole lot of people but me apparently. But I will definitely remember this for next time.
I’m also quite happy to report that “You Shook Me All Night Long” is the song that makes Libby Trudell get her groove on. She wasn’t dancing when I first saw her and she commented that she was waiting for them to play something good. A few minutes later I saw her out there working it to AC/DC. She maintains that it was “Shout” that got her out there in the first place, but all I saw was the Flashdance-like enthusiasm with which she shook it until 11:00.