I haven't lived in Washington forvery long. GAC will mark two years.

Washington didn't have much of a winter two years ago. Iremember working up a sweat walking from my hotel to the conventioncenter and admiring the early cherry blossoms. It was 80degrees.

I got some bad news, folks. It won't be 80 degrees thisyear.

Having moved here from San Diego, I feel like I should suesomebody for false advertising. This isn't the winter I was shownin the brochure.

Thankfully, GAC attendees won't be slipping in their dress shoeson icy sidewalks, as we locals have been doing for months. The lastof the snow and ice should melt by the weekend, and there's no snowforecasted … until after GAC.

(Whimper)

But hey, at least the clouds are lifting long enough to benefitAmerica's credit unions. I'm really looking forward to seeing somany credit union executives and volunteers in one place again.Conferences are exhausting, but also inspiring, educational andfun. I'm already having a great time touching base with colleaguesand friends via email and social media, in preparation for GAC meetups.

This year, I'm declaring a list of resolutions for my GACexperience. Maybe you have a similar list.

I resolve to spend less time sitting in conferencesessions, and more time meeting new people. Don't get mewrong, GAC has a good agenda. But how much more can we write aboutwhat the experts think about tax reform or data security orregulatory burden? I'd rather chat with folks about the stories wemight be missing.

The business cards I collect will see the light ofday. When meeting someone at a conference, promises tokeep in touch are usually well-meaning. However, after returning tothe office, the reality of workloads and family obligations crushesthose good intentions. To combat business card atrophy, I'vealready installed a card reader app on my iPhone, so I can scanthem throughout GAC. Once they're imported into my contacts list,my new friends' likelihood of hearing from me again will increasesignificantly.

I'll allow myself to get caught up in the democraticspirit. I find these hill hike events to be kind ofstrange. Visiting elected officials in Washington takes on a kindof Emerald City vibe. The Capitol is so big! And grand! Andhistoric! There are famous and colorful people walking through thehalls, like Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and her cowboy hats, andminority party troublemakers like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.

The ancient subway underneaththat connects the Capitol to the Senate and Congressional officebuildings kind of feels like a theme park ride. And likeDisneyland, there are plenty of sanctimonious folks who grin fromear to ear as if they really are in the Happiest Place onEarth.

The ability to meet face to face with elected officials – ortheir chiefs of staff – is sadly still somewhat rare in this world.I'm no fan of so-called public servants expecting campaign fundsfrom every advocate that crosses their thresholds, but our systemcould be worse.

I'll put my own political views aside during keynoteaddresses. I'm no fan of Tony Blair; not because he's theUK's version of Bill Clinton, but because of his support of thewars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The anti-war protestor in me wants toyell “WAR CRIMINAL!” while chucking my shoes at the stage. If I'mallowed past Secret Service and CUNA security after this columnpublishes, however, I'll listen to the former prime minister'saddress with an open mind. I might even walk away a fan, like I didafter Condoleezza Rice's fantastic speech two years ago.

If you'll be at GAC this year, I'll see you soon. Remember topack some sensible shoes, and by all means, bring a coat.