The start to my day came jarringly soon. I had a 6 a.m. flight to Baltimore to attend the American Numismatic Association’s summer convention, which is called the World’s Fair of Money.

My day’s schedule was constructed a couple of months ago when it was time to buy an airline ticket at a reasonable price. Sometimes the ANA board meets in open session on Monday. Sometimes it does not. I had to make a guess. I lost.

This turned out to be one of the years it will not meet in open session today. The entire day is taken up in closed session.

On the other hand, this gives me the opportunity to scope things out early and especially to attend a meeting of the Professional Numismatists Guild at 4 p.m. I am an associate member, but usually I am not around early enough in a convention to attend its meetings. This time it worked out.

That is the nature of an ANA convention. You may plan, but events take over and you make adjustments.