Loss of an evening.

The Pittsburgh Alumni meet-and-greet was almost a total loss, but they had nachos. And I got a business card from the one other library school graduate who came - she works in Manhattan too, and we might meet up for a networking-based cup of coffee sometime.

The rest of it was such that I'm almost certain I'd have been better off staying in, even with the nachos and networking taken into account. It was in a small room at the back of a noisy bar, music playing loud and a TV mounted in each corner plus an extra over the room's own bar, people milling around with whom I only had the barest of bare facts in common. We were all carbon-based lifeforms that graduated the same school - or had an immediate relative graduate from the school, so there wasn't even that. I'd put on one of my nicer dress and, until the professional businessmen working on Park Avenue with matching ties and handkerchiefs showed up, was the best-dressed person there. Turns out it wasn't the sort of meet-and-greet I'd hoped for, something with smaller glasses and more room to mingle, a little less music and some more lights. Basically, something where I wouldn't be on edge and worried about dealing with people for the whole night and could relax somewhat.

I did try talking a little bit, and in discussing experiences with the university's freshman orientation tours, got these wonderful looks of astonishment when I said I hadn't gotten them - and then explained I'd been a grad student, not an undergrad, which clarified the issue but didn't lead to further understanding about being fellow students of the same school in different capacities. Would've been nice to talk more about stuff like that, the old city and school and transitions, but I guess it wasn't the right time or place for it. Still, at least I got a business card out of it.

Tomorrow, I'm going to send an e-mail to the fellow librarian early in the morning. Also visit the gym, because damn, were those nachos ever tempting.