Lancaster, PA and the wild world of NACA

We were visited in the middle of the night last night by a steady October rain-- a muted, rhythmic sound over our heads that took no time lulling us back to sleep. When we woke this morning it was October in all its glory, gray with a leftover, wind-blown rain that dripped down our windows here on the top floor of our cozy (if strange) hotel in Lancaster PA.

We've been here for a few days, for the Mid-Atlantic NACA Conference... Ellery was selected as an Alternate, which means that if one of the fine showcasing artists fails to show, then we play a brief showcase for the thousand-ish college students who have gathered here. A strange but terribly interesting position, and it's given us the opportunity to spend some time at our agency's booth in the "marketplace," chatting with crazy-kind student leaders, checking out the other booths (oh the free frisbees, mugs, pens, cookies, shirts, balloon animals, Mr Goodbars, CDs, stickers, and unidentifiable sample products we passed by!) (Except for the free scoop of Cold Stone. We're only human).

Yesterday we got to catch comedian Jason Stuart's showcase, and we were happy to chat with him (and gush a little) later on, before the marketplace officially opened again. (He was hilarious, and he WAS on House, a Golden favorite --)
And oh my childhood: I also managed to meet Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins), apparently a NACA regular. Few experiences have been stranger.

The highlight of our evening may have been our accidental introduction to Jared Mahone, who was spending some of his out-of-booth time playing with bandmate JP at the local Starbucks.
We had a couple hours to kill last night before the day's final marketplace, so we stopped in to get some coffee and read for a while. As we pulled up to the storefront, we noticed that a couple guys were playing music inside... We couldn't have guessed that they'd sound so great, or that they were with NACA (ok, we should have guessed that one), or that they were from Columbus OH, or that they'd be so kind. So we're looking forward to seeing them again next week in Peoria... (There's another conference next week; we have a showcase on the books for that one!)

Today we were simply on call again as alternates, and it was so beautifully Autumn, so thick with rain & gray, we had to get out for a few hours. While navigating the small circumference of Lancaster, we managed to meet up (not all in one place) with some kittens, sheep, horses, buggies, and several random, rather angry Lancaster residents. (Fortunately they weren't angry at US, but we're feeling that maybe Lancaster needs some love.)
When we arrived back at the hotel, there was an obligatory game of air hockey in the game room, at which I schooled Justin, as expected.
(Air hockey & word games; he can try but he's no match.)

Later, after some work, there was a lovely moment when the weather overcame us in that gentle, vaguely sad-but-lovely way that it does in the Fall, and we found ourselves falling asleep again. When we woke it was early evening, the sky giving over to dusk, the myriad signs lit up outside, the traffic streaming by, the rain still falling.
Looking out the window, I have the distinct feeling that the year has deepened. It's settling in, and the season is rolling on into the thick of the holidays.
I recognize it by the shadowy feeling of being far from the people we love; the way this fact of our lives feels suddenly disturbing and out of place, the way we feel such a sure invitation home. Which sounds melancholy, but so does the rain outside, and somehow it's more of a lovely reunion with a friend we haven't seen in a year.