A Geneablogger Weekend

Last Thursday, as we were taking a walk around our neighborhood, my husband said, "Now, What time will you be leaving on Saturday?"

My response was, "7:00 a.m. but you'll need to take me to the meeting point."

 "No problem.  What time will you be home?"

 "The plan is to be home before noon."

 He stopped and just stared at me, "You're spending the night????  I thought it was just for the day."

"That was last weekend", I replied. He didn't say anything for five minutes.

I have been telling him this for a month.

        . . .  and what a great day we had!

With twenty bloggers attending and covering this event, I think you will find a plethora of stories, from the tour of the genealogy department to a sword greeting at Tina's house.  Rather than be repetitive, I will share with you a few pearls of wisdom I have learned this past weekend.

1.  Review travel plans with your driver before you leave.
     a.  Remember to take your I-Zoom monitor since the tolls are half the price.

2.  Make sure you have a Garmin GPS.  I will not mention the brand we had, but it begins with the letter "T".
     a.  Know how to work your GPS.
     b. Your GPS should be large enough to see from a distance greater than three inches.
     c.  Your GPS should tell you the name of the street you are directed to turn on. Next street is not
          enough detail.
     d.  Your GPS should have a current map if your destination is in a new sub-development.

*If you fail to follow all of the #2 and related sub-points, make sure you are traveling with a tech connected companion who has an iPhone.

3. If someone, like your host, goes to all of the trouble to help you make the best use of your time at the Allen County Public Library you need to FIND the time to prepare . . . really.
     a. Have a back-up plan if you intend to spend the entire day looking at city directories for Chicago
         only to discover that ACPL, or any place else for that matter, has no city directories for large cities
         like Chicago or New York for the 1940's.  Again, refer to the basic #3 rule.
     b. When your plans don't work out, take to heart the advice of the librarian who tells you her favorite
         activity is wandering and browsing.  Look over her shoulder as she talks at the shelves behind her.
         You might find a family history that lists your name.
      c. If you need a new perspective or advice, ask the other bloggers since their wisdom and
          knowledge is offered freely and only a question away. It's a group consultation with no fee.
      d.  There is no such thing as a bad day at the Allen County Public Library.

4.  Take business cards even if it isn't a business for you.

5.  Try to take photos throughout the day because they spruce up your blog.
      a.  BUT. . . If you suddenly realize that you have no photos, it is not the time to start when the food is
          served or when Thomas MacEntee generously opens a box of magazines and tells everyone to take
          what interests them.

6.  Look up everyone's blog ahead of time and try to find a photo of them because there are no name tags to help you out. 
        a.  Limit your wine intake to four three glasses or less because you can only say, "What was your name
             again" so many times without looking senile.

7.  When you arrive at your hotel, remember to zip your suitcase closed if you got into it during the trip, lest all of the contents dump out onto the parking lot, spilling underwear, pj's, toothbrush and iPod under the car when you pull it out.  Just a suggestion.

8. Don't worry about jewelry.  Thomas brings beads.

9.  Don't wear a pink sweater as you tend to stand out in photographs, and not in a good way!


10. Laugh, make new friends, and plan to return.

Now go to these posts for other perspectives on the weekend  . . . and they have photos. My apologies if I left you out.  Please let me know.

Shelley Bishop . . . A Sense of Family

Tina Lyons . . .Gen Wish List

Terri O’Connell . . . Finding Our Ancestors

Jennifer Alford  . . .Jen-Gen’s Family History

Laura Cosgrove Lorenzana . . . The Last Leaf on This Branch 

Susan Clark . . . Nolichucky Roots

Kathryn Lake Hogan . . .Looking4Ancestors

Thomas MacEntee . . . Geneabloggers, Destination: Austin Family

Diana Ritchie . . . Random Relatives

Stephanie Fishman  . . . Corn and Cotton Genealogy

Jennifer Holik . . .Generations

Brenda Leyndyke . . .   Journey to the Past