Report on Day 3 of scifi happiness:
Up groggy around 8am. Fight with sink. What moron thought this was a good idea? I have to say that when my buddy told me about it she said (and I thought) well, it's really a bigger problem for her because she's rather short. I'm really pretty tall and I have long arms. You know what? Height and wing span do not help you when you're spitting toothpaste and trying to get soap out of your eyes. Idiots. I know why they did it-- they wanted to gussy up the bathroom when they took over the hotel, but they didn't want to spend the money to actually redo the plumbing. Look, people, fire the frikin architect or designer and use their pay to move the plumbing!
Leave sucking on a Zicam (haven't tried them -- do, they really work!) because I was feeling a little off-- a little sniffy. I cannot have a cold while at Con. I must be able to fully enjoy every moment. How cold I be groggy and sniffy??? I mean just cause I go to be after 3am that couldn't be it could it? lol
Trot over to the Convention Center for a panel on NASA's development with engineers/writers discussing humorous stories of the good ole days. Leave that early because I have this overwhelming compulsion to visit the dealers room. I tell myself I'm scooting out because I want to go leave a message for Kathryn on the voodooo boards (why haven't I taken a picture of those? -- I'll explain them later), but really I hear the hucksters calling to me. The dealer's room manages to sell me NOTHING! No, honest. Nothing. lol Yeah, I wouldn't believe me either, but it's true.
Those big numbered signs hang over the dealer's room. What could I have bought there, you ask?--- pottery, blown glass, books, t-shirts, velvet capes, corsets, books, magazines, books, book covers, kimono pull stays, crystals, books, toys, sculptures, books, and for no apparent reason chocolate honey. Honest to pete we have a booth of nothing but chocolate honey. I hate honey.
Post huckster's I headed for the panel on what might get nominated for the Hugos (our literary awards) in 2009 (great, more books I need). Then I was off downstairs for the Guest of Honor speech by Lois McMaster Bujold. Well, it wasn't starting for a few minutes so I was peaking over the edge of the escalator and found KATHRYN!!!! At long last. Waved at her; she was busy. Went off for the speech --
That's Lois listening carefully to an audience question.
Once the questions really got rolling for Lois, I headed out to find Kathryn again and we got to chat for a while. lol She just looked at me and said, you have a lot of pictures. I must have looked lost because all I could think was "I didn't use all the ones I had and I only quit because I was exhausted." lol She showed me her progress on Bad Hair Day which is really cute. Hopefully we'll connect again for fun and gossip since I had to desert her to go upstairs to Sharon Shinn's signing. Here she is chatting and signing--
She's exactly as nice and perky as she looks there.
As soon as I got my signatures and pictures I was off downstairs again to a panel on vampires and other creatures "of the night." Kinda entertaining. After that is was only across the other side of the building (at least on the same floor) for a reading by S.M. Stirling from his book that comes out in a month or two.
That's Mr. Stirling with his Kindle which he loves.
I closed off the panel day back across the floor at "No Swords, No Horses" a panel on doing fantasy without all the tropes. I was there because it included Glen Cook (I believe you've gotten the idea he's one of my favorites). the panel was quite good and I picked up some new people to hunt writings by. Here's the crew:
From left to right that's Michael Swanwick, Liz Scheirer, Glen Cook, and Patrick Rothfuss. They ended about 6:20 and the Masquerade (I'll explain in a minute) was called for 7:30. So I need dinner. I probably need real food since lunch had been a smoothie in the dealer's room (btw, the Denver Convention Center makes a mean blackberry-strawberry smoothie), but I need it close and kinda fast. Off I go across the street to Bubba's Shrimp. So far I have eaten ALL of my dinners in Denver at Bubba's. See, I was tired the first night and I needed something fast and I couldn't remember if I'd seen a restaurant near my first hotel so my friend Elaine (the original sink complainer) said I should try Bubba's. I was jonesing for a salad and right there posted by their door was a menu featuring a cobb salad. So, Wednesday night Bubba's Cobb Salad at the bar where I met Mary and we compared plans for the next day of the Con. She had gotten the Shrimpers Sampler and ha me try one. I vowed I'd have shrimp there before leaving town. Last night I had 45 minutes between the Chesley's (art awards) and the art reception so back to Bubba's (in my defense, they are the closest restaurant!). Nope, not the shrimp sampler, I got the stuffed trout--- yummy. Tonight in my hour I go back to Bubba's hoping I'm early enough for the spicy sea bass with chopped avacado salsa. I was, and it was WONDERFUL!
I was paying my check at Bubba's when the sky opened up. In the thunder and lightening I hauled back to my hotel (a block away) to drop my bags. By the time I get up to my room it's just sprinkling-- check out the sky through my room window:
For those of you who read Rachel Caine -- do you think there might be a pissy weather warden somewhere?
I trot back to the convention center -- as I leave my hotel there's an occasional raindrop. A quarter block from the center doors, the drops become insistent enough for me to open the umbrella. Between when I enter the convention center and when I get to the other end of the building to the auditorium where the maskerade is being held (approximately 3 minutes) the sky has exploded--
About maskerades. One thing we do (well some of us) is costumes. And no, I don't just mean Star Trek uniforms and Princess Leia. Folks were costumes all during the day and then if they so choose there is a maskerade where they debut a new costume and generally a mini stage show for ribbons and applause. I have been thoroughly awed at maskerade presentations and I've also laughed until I cried at them too. I don't have pictures from tonight's event (no flash photography for the safety of the participants), but here's a few offerings from a display in the hall with the hucksters and the smoothie vendor (can't wait to drink lunch tomorrow lol)
See? All the biggest stars come! lol
Stitching of the day:
The sheep is part of a LK flip it from a couple years ago and the other is the one from yesterday with it's final border around it. Tomorrow... maybe I begin a dragon????? We'll see.
Book purchases of the day (you know, I don't know when those happened lol):
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Quotes of the day:
"I'm allergic to being held responsible for things over which I have no control." Lois McMaster Bujold
"Where is SF going in the 21st Century? I don't know. I'm not driving!" Lois
"Gene Wolfe isn't here so I'm officially the greatest author at WorldCon." Michael Swanwick
"Who wants to destroy the world?" ... "Where would you put all your stuff afterward?" Patrick Rothfuss
"Nobody reads the book that I wrote." Glen Cook
"I think the rule of thumb is: if you've never shot a horse..."
"That is NOT a suggestion!!!"
Michael Swanwick and Liz Scheier
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Specific notes:
Carol -- keep reminding me you want to know what that pattern is. It's from a JCS of a few years back and I stitch it from blown up photocopies I make to keep myself sane. So I can definitely tell you, but just not right now.
Barbara -- oh, man, we could hook Niek up. lol If you go to WorldCon's homepage you'll see the dates for next year's which is in Montreal. They just finished the votes today for 2010, and I don't think they're counted yet, but it's safe to say Australia won. It's a long story, but since the convention will be out of North America, there will be a make-up convention called a NASFIC in 2010. Where isn't figured yet. 2011 hasn't been voted yet, but I think it's going to be Seattle although Reno just started up a run for it. It's real complex. Frankly I'm all excited about 2009 since Montreal's Guest of Honor is Neil Gaiman who I really love.
Kathryn -- Hugos, you're on, dearie! Great to see you today!!!
6 comments:
I'm not really into SF but I'm enjoying your posts about the Con! Apart from Neil Gaiman (lovely bloke, I have signed copies of Coraline and American Gods) - are there any (male) SF authors who don't have beards? LOL
Neil Gaiman? Are you KIDDING? OMG. That's it. I have to go, too. We'll divvy the kids up over the grandparents and have that honeymoon we never had. I just love Montreal and haven't been since I was a kid. Neil Gaiman! OMG.
LOL Ruth! It sounds like you are having an absolutely fantastic time!
Have a great time. You must be in SciFi heaven right now. LOL
How cool! You must be having a tonne of fun. How cool, Elizabeth Moon I just loved the Deeds of Paksenarion (sp?)
I wish I could be there. sounds like a blast. I love reading how your days have been going.
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