Next month, I'm going to Florida for a conference.  Some people would be excited about a trip to a purportedly lovely coastal location, paid for by someone else, and during which one gets to learn more about and discuss a topic dear to one's heart.  But I am not one of them.  If the conference were to be held here in town, I would be thrilled, but a conference involving travel makes me feel tired a month before I get there.

Why am I dreading going so much?  I'm glad you asked.

You probably already know from previous blog posts that I have many food allergies. When I'm traveling, I don't know the restaurants or the grocery stores, so I don't know where I'll be able to eat.  I have to bring enough food with me to sustain me for the entire time I'm away, because I rarely know for sure in advance if I will have access to a safe local food source.  Trying to travel light is not an option.  And because I can't pack much food likely to spoil, I always end up eating a lot of peanut butter, rice cakes, and larabars.  And as much as I love those things--and I really do love them--after a few days, I'm desperate for some vegetables.

For this conference, I'll be gone 5 1/2 days.  Five and a half days!  That's a lot of peanut butter.

If restaurants were generally more inclined to know what's in their food, and if they had a goal of making good, quality food over profits, this would be easier.  If food manufacturers didn't fill their products with garbage that we shouldn't be eating, this would be easier.  But because we want cheap food and we don't care how we get, I have to pack like I'm going on the Oregon Trail every time I travel.

***Stepping down from soap box***

In more pleasant news, I'm almost over my cold, and my sweet potato plant is growing so well.  It's looking quite pretty.  And the plant I've had in my office for two weeks now isn't dead yet.  It isn't even looking as though death is in its near future. I'm not sure how long this will last, but so far, so good.

Also, I don't fully understand the new blogger dashboard/tools/settings.  Have I reached the age where technology passes me by because I can't be bother to keep up with the new things?  Eh, who cares?

And finally, I think I went to work with a small stain on my shirt today.  I'm hoping no one noticed.