OK, I've got all my clothes and slides and everything set out for tomorrow. Trying not to panic. A friend and I practiced our talks on each other today, and I made a few revisions based on his comments, so it's not like this is the first time I'll be saying this stuff. (This is actually a version of a talk I've given a bunch of times before, but with a lot cut out because I've got less time, and a different focus.)

Hil, you are going to be brilliant.

Much ~ma to Theodosia and her mom, and to msbelle and her mac.

You look relaxed and happy

Awwwww, thanks. As long as Belinda is no where near me, I'm pretty good.

House stuff has taken an unexpected bad turn, I'm hoping we can get it back on track tomorrow, but who knows.

This appears to be a good place for a link to Grammar Lesson Fail

You'll do great, Hil. You are well prepared and it is comfortable material if not venue.

Suzi, every single real estate transaction I have dealt with had last minute huge obstacles and stress. Sending bunches of ~ma in your direction for a smooth conclusion.

pretty sure you'll rock it, hil

Thanks, everyone.

I can't remember ever being this nervous before. And I don't actually have anything to be nervous about -- I'm not being graded, I'm not being judged, and no one will be listening with any purpose other than learning what I have to say. (Or just waiting around to learn what the next person has to say, because it's a session of a bunch of back-to-back short talks, so if you want to hear one, you've got to stay for a bunch.)

It's just, this is an actual conference. Not just a locally-organized thing, but an actual national conference. Eek.

psst. Hil is going to be brilliant tomorrow. Pass it on!

Hil, nothing you have said suggests that you will be anything but prepared and professional and great

Well, I just managed to poke myself in the eye, while wearing glasses. That doesn't seem so prepared and professional.

Thanks, guys. I'm calming down a bit.

Also trying not to worry about my lisp. My talk has the word "incidence" pretty often, and I never seem to manage to get both c's right. I can get one or the other, but not both. I'm reminding myself that a pretty good portion of the people presenting don't have English as a first language, so the people listening are used to figuring out speech that's not quite right. (The friend that I was practicing with today can't pronounce "polynomial." But he can say "isthmus," and I just look at that word and weep. But it's his talk that has the isthmus, not mine.)

(The major phrases I need to get across are "incidence Hopf algebra," "forest," "antipode," and "chain." "Chain" is the only one that gives me problems -- if I'm not careful, it comes out "cane.")