Minneapolis highlights

During my blogation (you know, that vacation I took from my blog), I worked... and that's pretty much it.

I was at the 60th Annual Conference of the Religion Newswriters Association, the company I've worked for since I graduated from Otterbein nine years ago. As is tradition, I see very little of the city in which my company's annual conference is being hosted. This year, that town was Minneapolis.

Despite the fact that I only saw the light of day from the skylight in the hotel's atrium, there were a few cheery moments from my week:


My room, for one. I shared a suite with two of my colleagues, and it was ultra-comfy and posh. Now, don't get the wrong idea. My company can't afford fancy suites. Instead, the suites are freebie upgrades for hosting our conference at that hotel (this year: the Minneapolis Marriott City Center...GREAT hotel!). I still miss all those smushy pillows.


Mingling with the exhibitors—some whom I've worked with for 10 conferences running—is always fun. These people are among the nicest PR folks I know, which makes my job a great deal easier.

One of my sponsors this year had a Christmas-themed reception to highlight a new VeggieTales holiday movie. Lucky me, they wanted a chocolate fountain to feté our guests. I was forced to try out a kettle chip drenched in creamy milk chocolate for the good of the cause. Rough.


President Obama stopped by too. This is the view out my hotel room's window. That squat, circular white building behind the towering skyscraper in the center is the Target Center. El Presidente swung by there on Saturday (last day of the event), at the time we were trying to herd people onto tour buses headed for the local Hindu temple. Apparently the Secret Service didn't appreciate our buses, so we had to enthusiastically encourage our peeps to hightail it out of there! And no, I didn't get a glimpse of The Man.

Next year we travel to Denver. You can bet I won't have time to hit the slopes... or even the street!