Just 7 more sleeps

 As it's only 7 more sleeps until I fly to Salt Lake City for Rootstech I am revisiting my old Rootstech checklist. 

Two years down the track I find the list needs amending. Some items are going and others appearing. Please let me know if there's anything obvious that I've missed.

Geniaus' Rootstech Checklist

• International return flight Australia to SLC - Booked.
• Airport transfers in SLC - No worries - Shuttles/taxis can be organised at airport in SLC. 
• Hotel Accommodation - Booked at the Marriott - most convenient hotel to Salt Palace and City Creek shops. 
• Passport - Have a new one with lots of blank pages. 
• ESTA (Visa) - Renewed.
• Travel insurance - Renewed.

• Conference Registration - Done.

• Respond to invitations - Done.
• Download the Rootstech App - Done, classes selected and friends made. If more people made their profiles public I would be able to make even more friends. 
• Download Rootstech syllabus papers of interest - Ongoing Task. 
• Compile list of Familysearch films to check in Family History Library - In progress in my Family Historian Database.
• Make list of geneashopping to be done while in the US - Need to prune list.

• Find out names of Aussies who are travelling to Rootstech - Have around a dozen names. No-one from Tasmania, Western Australia or the Northern Territory yet. 
• Set a date for a casual pre-conference dinner for members of the British Commonwealth attending Rootstech - Done. Details here.

• Aussie pins/stickers/badges to hand out -  waiting for post Australia Day sales.
•  GeniAus Business Cards to hand out -Yes, still have supplies. 
• GeniAus ribbons - Awaiting pickup on Salt Lake City. Thanks DearMyrtle. 
• Purchase breakfast bars and healthy snacks for quick meals - have been to supermarket.
• Start gathering up my Geneabling to wear at the event - do I really want to take this stuff? 
• Organise my technology for the trip - That's for next week.
• Pack my Bag - I need to know what I'm taking first. Maybe I need a packing list.

Geneabling

Rootstech Bound

Although it's less than a week since I returned from an overseas adventure my mind is again turning to geneatravel. When (and if) I get settled I'll blog about some of the adventures I had during my recent geneajaunt in Ireland.

Meanwhile I just booked flights for my annual pilgrimage to the genealogy mecca of Salt Lake City in February where I'll attend Rootstech once more. As I was too busy travelling I didn't submit any presentation proposals for 2017 but I hope that once more I will have a chance to be a Rootstech Ambassador.

Several of my Aussie mates are also making the pilgrimage. I can't wait to catch up with them and my genimates from overseas in Salt Lake City plus do a spot of research in the Family History Library.

Are you Rootstech bound in 2017?

Bargain Hunter

As my regular readers know I am a sucker for a bargain and I love techie toys. On my shopping expedition today I netted both a bargain and a new tech toy.

The bargain will be useful when I go out on a geneajaunt. I went into The Reject Shop looking for a cheap cover for my new tech toy but came out with something else, it was marked $6 but there was a sign showing that it had been reduced to $4 but when I took it to the checkout I was only charged $2. It's a mesh organiser bag, that has two large compartments, one zippered and one open plus eight small pockets for holding bits and bobs. I have a large laptop pouch that I use for transporting the items in the image below, this ne purchase will help me better organise them for travel.

I am posting this because I thought some of my mates in Australia with $2 to invest might wish to wander down to The Reject Shop and check them out.

The new tech toy is presently on the charger getting a fill of energy for its first encounter with me later this evening. Mr GeniAus' mobile phone has been experiencing difficulties so I generously offered to purchase a new phone and give him my old model. 

Last year I decided that I wanted a Galaxy Note 3 32g because I needed more storage. I also wanted a larger screen so that when I am travelling I can leave my Galaxy 10.1 tablet at home and travel with just a netbook and the large screen phone or phablet. I will be testing this out when I head off overseas next week. I am hoping that the 5.7" screen size will be adequate for short typing tasks and reading some ebooks. 

I had been holding off buying the device bacause of the price but I got a good deal on an unlocked model (there must be a new model around the corner) and, because I am leaving the country, I will get a 10% tax rebate from The Tourist Refund Scheme.

I am wondering if any of my genimates are phablet users?