ATLA-Day one

I just got back from working out; the work-out room was full this morning at 6:00 AM. As some of you know, I judge a hotel by its work-out area. You know if a hotel is good by how they treat the equipment there. I would say it is OK. The equipment is second tier, but it works—except for the heart rate monitor. It kept saying my heart rate was 124; I took a quick check and it was in the 150s, which is normal. I know, 220-53=167 max heart rate times 80% for target range is 130s. Guess what? My maximum heart rate is not normal for my age...

Anyway, as I was saying...the workout room was full at 6:00 this morning, so I didn't get my normal workout. I sure could tell. I couldn't remember the Edzard was the author of Sumerian Grammar, I said Hans Dieter Betz! For those who don't know, Betz is a New Testament scholar, not a Sumerologist. Later I couldn't remember the name of Johnson Speaks to Us—and I was talking to the librarian from Pittsburgh Seminary where he taught. Oops! So, I definitely need a workout to get my brain rolling on conference mornings.

I like the ATLA conference. It is one of my favorites. It used to be my favorite, but since Tim left the break food has become sugar and fat. It used to be fresh fruit, yogurt, milk, granola bars—along with sugary stuff. But the last two years it has only been sugary stuff, although this morning they did have yogurt and bananas, which was nice. Don't get me wrong, they run a super nice conference, I just miss that one aspect. This Minnesota/Wisconsin bred boy needs his half-gallon of milk a day to function right, and all they offered was corn-syrupy sodas...I drank a lot of water :)

OK, enough of the bad stuff! I have had great conversations with people, lots of compliments on our books, probably some new customers. All the stuff that makes a conference worth attending. But, I still miss my milk...I am going out to eat now—I hope there is a place with lots of milk and cheese :)

Here is our display. I think we need to go with a darker banner; the Qumran scroll is just too light for most venues.



Bobby, I know you read this blog, so this is for you. I took a picture of the Hendrickson table. I loaned you the bookstands for the back books, but was short 2. It looks better in person than it does in the picture.