I just read Chris Brady’s post about how he won’t be at SBL this year (SBL – I knew you well). That’s unfortunate, though I think no one can argue with his reason. With his daughter’s 15th birthday, he’s making the right move. I was one of those people who until SBL only knew him at Targuman. I had the pleasure of chatting with him while riding Atlanta’s public transit to the airport in 2010.

I, however, find my self in the opposite situation, in a sense. Because SBL is in Chicago, this will be the first time in at least six years that I’ll be able to wish my younger sister a happy birthday in person. I’m looking forward to that, though it also means that I have less free time during the conference than I would normally have, which means meeting fewer people who I only see at SBL for coffee. But like Chris, it’s definitely worth it.