Today was the Gulf States Women's History Conference. Location was Arby's on Hwy 49 in Gulfport MS. The (two) participants arrived within about five minutes of each other, then spent the next six hours eating, drinking, and talking about (mostly) academic stuff. One of the participants was recognized by two Arby's employees who had worked in Slidell in the past.

Pat and I didn't solve the problems of the academic world, but we did spend a lot of the time talking about academic matters. She critiqued my "project" and we talked about it. I now have fairly positive feelings about it.

All in all, a very satisfactory day.

I made a slight detour on the way home to fill up the gas tank one trip early. Normally I have it timed so that I get gas on the weekend then use most of it with the three trips into New Orleans. Tomorrow would have been the third trip, and I would have had to get gas before Friday. I get home a bit after 5 PM and I really don't have the energy to get gas then. And if I wait till the next morning I pay a 5 to 10 cent premium because that's what the stations on the way into work charge.

The drive to Gulfport didn't show many Katrina effects--the worst of those in Mississippi are closer to the coast where the record-breaking storm surge came in. There was an interstate sign reminding people that the Bay St. Louis bridge on US 90 was still out. And looking over at wooded areas I could see more than the usual number of downed trees--and all of those were leaning the same way.

On the way back to Slidell there were signs reminding the truckers about the weight limits on the I-10 Twin Spans crossing Lake Pontchartrain. I think I'd hate to be a long-haul trucker with those limits in place. And the westbound part of the Twin Spans has a 45 mph speed limit on it. It has daily maintenance work that closes one lane of it during non-peak hours.

But today was a pleasant drive to Gulfport and back, and a VERY pleasant get-together at the GSWHC.