Great Scot, Day 4-5

The last couple of days had highs and lows.

I spent 2 days doing the conference, which was great. Excellent networking (e.g., invite to speak in Sweden, request to be on a talk at a conference in Acapulco, offer to use a new colleagues apartment in Paris when we visit France) and learning (e.g., great talk on child pain advocacy).

Saint Rachelle took the kids on culture jaunts (e.g., museums) in the rain, which was met with some protests and whines.

Yesterday, Amy and I cabbed it back from the conference and saw a fight start on the sidewalk between some Northern Ireland and some Scottish soccer fans (the 2 teams played last night). It was an ugly sight.

Last night, Amy watched the kids while Rachelle and I went out with a bunch of my conference buddies, including some of my favorite Canadians (Simon Beggs, Jen Stinson, Bonnie Stevens, Anna Taddio). We had a blast and didn't get home until around 2am.

Today, Amy's hubby, Lewis, and her 3 kids have joined us in the apartment, which resulted in the apartment shrinking drastically in size but growing in sound volume.

The entire group of 9 of us went to a conference-sponsored event, a Ceilidh (pronounced Kaylee) dance and dinner at a very cool old church-like building. The dancing was a blast, the food was mediocre (maybe if you are a meet eater, it was okay), and the kids managed to entertain themselves without causing too much raucous. Liv and Jill danced and the 3 boys played under the table or found their way up to a balcony.

As a coincidence, I saw a guy who looked familiar. Sure enough, he worked at Outback Bikes in Atlanta and sold me my bike. He is doing pain research at Georgia State in Biology and was at the conference. Another grad student at his table and his lab was formerly a Georgia State undergraduate student taught by none other than the fabulous Rachelle. Of course the student loved Rachelle.

As I write this blog at 11:30pm, I am listening to the 3 other parents trying to get the 5 kids to sleep. The 3 new additions are still on US time and acting as if it is 6:30pm and Noah and Liv are keeping right up with them. Maybe they'll sleep in! ;)