Star-Studded Jamboree in Burbank

Last week I returned home from a fun trip to Southern California. My main motivation for making the trek was to attend, for the first time, the Southern California Genealogical Society's Annual Jamboree in Burbank. SCGS has been putting on this conference for nearly 40 years, and that experience showed in every aspect of the program. Their reputation as one of the largest and best genealogy conferences in the country remains intact. It was a fabulous event! Of course, because I am my Jewish Mother, I need to kvetch a little about the daily parking fees. The Marriott offered conference attendees a reduced rate of $10, which I begrudingly paid the first day. During the opening session, the woman sitting next to me bragged that she got a deal by parking across the street at the Burbank Airport---"only" $9 per day! (Obviously a Goyeh.)
Did I miss seeing Brad and Angelina walking across the tarmac, because I didn't take advantage of paying "only" $9 for parking at the Burbank Airport? Probably. But at the end of the day I was my very happy Jewish Mother, because I was able to find FREE parking just down the street from the Marriott in a shady, residential neighborhood. By-the-way, do you notice the red bus in the background? I did see several of those driving around, and they all had "Bob Hope Airport" written on the side. It was the only clue I had that Burbank Airport has somehow morphed into the Bob Hope Airport. (Even freeway signs and the conference literature referred to it as the Burbank Airport.)
Of course the REAL celebrities were all at the conference. People like Steve Morse (pictured), Bill Dollarhide, Leland Meitzler, and Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak. (Everytime I see Megan I ponder the benefit to my career as a genealogist of changing my professional name to Kathleen Goodrich Goodrich. Or, do I dare to be shamelessly accurate: Kathleen Goodrich Goodrich Goodrich?) I was totally star-struck by Dr. Stephen Morse. He gave an excellent and entertaining presentation on using his One-Step Website. I've used this website for years ---his tools for finding living people is almost Ouija-board-like, it's so amazing---but I learned even more during this lecture about the census and passenger lists.
Thank you, SCGS for the incredible door prize (one year World Deluxe Membership to Ancestry.com) and for an amazing conference. See you next June! (This is of course assuming that Southern California gas prices will drop drastically---OY VEY!)