Nice to see your by-line, SJ (aka Society of Jesus - you can look it up).
No - I haven't been able to afford TechEd since the last time I could afford to be full-time perm W-2, which was 2007.
Now Mark Finnern says I should be able to afford it if Graham (?) can get up here from Australia.
But I'd be willing to bet that Graham isn't paying the mortgage on a 12Ksqft house on 40 acres and doesn't have a sig other who just picked herself up a spanking-brand-new BMW M6 ?