Did you get a column out of it?

Albany Times-Union business editor Marlene Kennedy attended the SABEW fall conference in New York last week, and on her way back home, she called her husband, who asked the dreaded question every columnist doesn’t want to hear.

She wrote, “My husband is asking that annoying question again. He knows it’s tough pulling off a weekly column on top of other responsibilities. (He knows because I tell him so — frequently.)

“‘Did you get a column out of it?’ He’s relentless.

“I start to drop names: Becky Quick of CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ was there; so was John Thain, head of the New York Stock Exchange. And Steve Forbes talked about taxes and health care over lunch.

“‘I shook Anne Mulcahy’s hand,’ I offer.

“‘Who?’

“The chairman and chief executive of Xerox Corp. was a keynoter on Tuesday. The conference was part practical sessions on covering issues like energy and the economy, and part question-and-answer time with high-profile speakers.

“Mulcahy had taken an empty seat beside me as she awaited her turn at the podium. Turning with a warm smile, she extended her hand: ‘Hi. I’m Anne Mulcahy.'”

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