I was just answering a comment on my absence, thought I'd expand upon it up here.

Andy made a joke about me leaving for a week, needing to get a laptop. I did bring it, but didn't load the remote software. Thank God. Don't know what I'll do once I have it available.

I don't tend to go off on assignment too often (though I hope to more, but even in my fantasies, it will only be one 3- to 5-day trip a month), but when I am, I'm totally on assignment.

This time was typical: I had this tiny little window to get nearly everything I'm ever going to get on this event. It went on for basically three days (plus two traveling), and I had 72 hours to soak up every damn bit of data I could gather. There were so many people I still wanted to interview, or re-interview. Day One I got back to my room with a list of a dozen people I had to connect with over the next two days. Unfortunately, it just got longer as I tried to work them off. Each person just led me to several more. Sunday morning I made a must-interview list for the final 10 hours, then relaxed for five minutes for lunch outside by the lagoon, and made the most unexpected contact. Just said hello to this conventioneer to be pleasant. She said something brief, I said something brief, she said something tantalizing. I responded briefly, intent on gathering my stuff and moving on. She said something even better. I pulled out my notebook. Best not to fight these things. Literally 2.5 hours later we got up. And then I went to track down and interview a guy she had told me about. By the time that was over, most of the sources on my must-interview list were on to another activity and much harder to track down. But it didn't matter. The people on that list were just people I was hoping could give me the insights I wanted. They were just rolling off this woman's lips like a freight train.

Still didn't get all I wanted, and I have to stay absolutely focused on these assignments to get all I can. Worked from about 10 a.m. to 1 or 2 a.m. each day, with just two 20-minute meal breaks. And that's an exhausting day, because interviewing is the most draining activity I've ever performed. Just a handful can wipe me out. This was just unbelievable. I was chatting with a source I've gotten close to Saturday night, and said, "I am just so SICK of asking questions."

But I had a day without questioning yesterday, and I'm invigorated again. And came home with so much data. About seven 3x5 notebooks filled up.

Just read this fun little AP story: "Virgins meet in Sin City, tout abstinence." Such a shame AP is so clueless covering this kind of story. What I could do with that material.

And I don't mean trashing them. I tend to trash this kind of stuff when I read somebody else's account of it. Any time I actually go there, meet the people, get to know them, I come back with a much more complex picture. These people have some really virtuous intentions, and I bet at least 65% of them are really sweet, wonderful people at heart. I'd just love to hear what they're all about.

Wish I had known about it, wish I could have been there, maybe I should still head out.

Guess I've got to finish the story I'm on first. Can't cover everything. Maybe next year. I'll put it on my calendar.