Today I leave for Washington, DC, to go to php[world]. This is the second edition of this conference, and my second trip. I'm looking forward to seeing people I met for the first time last year and meeting new people. And I'm definitely looking forward to sitting in on all the awesome talks that I can.

And then there's the mystery. Cal Evans is "planning sumthin' different" for non-presenting attendees. I was one of the first to volunteer, so I'm a bit anxious to see what comes of it.

And finally, Drupal 8 is releasing on the 19th, so there will be a release party at the conference. Congratulations to Drupal; I know this was a huge undertaking. And thanks to your hard work, I might get cake. ;-)

Of course, it's not all wonderful. I'll be away from my family for five whole days. This isn't something that happens often. In fact, the last time was for php[world] last year. I think they'll all get along fine, though. Except maybe Sparky, the new puppy. I think he's going to miss me taking him out a couple times a night. It's a busy week for them and I'm feeling a bit guilty for not being able to help keep everything moving. Anyway, I'll miss you all!

Besides that, the hardest part is packing and getting everything done that I need to do before I leave: packing, getting the basic service on the car, and, hardest of all, getting a new laptop ready. I'd take the one I'm writing this on, but it is a 10 year old beast that only gets about an hour per battery charge. So...on to doing that :)