Trip Report, Day 1: Stuffed!

Hello there.  I'm presently camped out next to the fireplace in the restaurant of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, watching as dozens of men and women in dark suits sit huddled in padded chairs at round tables, speaking business-ese in low voices. Even at 10 in the morning, many of them have their jackets off already, slung over the chair as they shuffle through papers with colleagues.  I'm not certain exactly what they're doing, but it makes for great people watching. It's like a slightly...