Small town, big city.

I found myself seriously questioning my allegiance to small town life yesterday morning here in Vancouver BC. After breakfast (where I was allowed to order off the menu and the table full of police officers next to me were polite and did not pepper their conversation with profanity) I wandered down Broadway into a newstand that had more titles than the Eugene Public Library; picked up a patch cable at a Future Store (I have seen the future, and it's great big flat screen monitors for all); caught up on Canadian literature at a Chapters bookstore; and walked past more different types of ethnic restaurants in a 5 block stretch than exists in all of Oregon.

Not that I'm complaining. No, ok, I'm complaining. It was so freakin' pleasant. The newstand had NINE different flyfishing magazines. I didn't even know there were that many!

I also stepped into an art book store, but was immediately overwhelmed and walked back out. One can take only so much stimulation.

For dinner, one of the other WAMLites suggested Afghani. Afghani! How often do you get to eat Afghani food? It was fantastic.

So yes, I've got the small town blues.

Conference is good so far. Today is the real meat and potatoes. And tonight I see the geographers. Hurray!