When my wife Pam accompanies me on the trip, it is more comfortable and much more civilized. Pam is organized and plans ahead. She packs in advance of the trip. I pack just before leaving for the airport. Left to my own devices my business trips can be a little reminiscent of "Survivor". I always think I have packed everything, but when I get to my destination there is something missing. Thank God for those kind folks at the front desk who supply toothbrushes, razors, toothpaste, etc. when I have forgotten mine. Have you ever had to buy a tie, because yours is safely at home – yeah me too. I am so glad Pam likes to accompany me to the PES conferences. It is a chance to meet friends for her too and to enjoy the companion activities, which brings me back to the civilizing influence of having my wife with me. She has interests outside the engineering field. Engineers, as we all know, are notorious for being focused on engineering and very little else - yeah me too. The 2001 PES T&D Expo was held in Atlanta. Pam found out there was an exhibit at the art museum of Winslow Homer, one of America's greatest watercolor artists. Heck, I had never heard of him; after all 19th century artists is not normally a part of your typical engineering curriculum. Who would have guessed, it was a fantastic exhibit and a highlight of the Atlanta visit. Dang, when I Googled (hey, I'm still a nerd and surf for everything) Chicago for some trip information, up came a web page listing a Winslow Homer exhibit at the Chicago Art Institute. I told Pam and we started reminiscing about the Atlanta trip. Now we are going to add an extra day to the trip and spend some time in the museum with Winslow. It is funny, I normally don't think about these intangible benefits of attending something like the PES T&D Expo, but they can be just as important as the educational aspects we sell the boss as a reason to attend. I guess that is why it was called enrichment in college. I'd welcome any and all comments.
