ConDFW post report
Feb. 23rd, 2004 03:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
celticdragonflyA little while ago the light went a funny color and then the sky opened up and started POURING rain. It's slowing a bit, and we're getting the lightning and thunder now. All in all, a good day to stay inside and write my ConDFW trip report. (Although the amount of lightening makes me wonder if I shouldn't shut this thing down in caution...)
It was good. We headed off awfully late Friday - I'd had an upsetting afternoon, and Karl (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
selenite) had been feeling unwell, so we ran very late in getting the MOUNTAIN of stuff into the van and heading off. (Taking 3 kids to a con, 2 in diapers, and one on a special diet, involves a lot of stuff, even pared to a bare minimum.) We got there and got a bunch of friendly people from Scott(tygerr) and Lynette's(meerkat1) room party (we had connecting rooms, which made it fun!) to come help get the whole pile of stuff up there. I am very grateful to them. Karl spent part of the evening resting in our room and working on feeling better, only got to hang out with part of the party. I was juggling kid care and getting help from lots of lovely people. Maggie enjoyed running around and getting attention from all these people, and Jamie even got handed around some, and glittered by the Pilot as a
side effect. He also managed to pull off Pilot Padget's left implant and lose it - Scott, did you ever find it? - causing him to declare that Jamie would grow up to be Bothari. What a horrid thing to say to such a sweet little baby. Lessee, some of the people that were there - Scott and Lynette and Danielle were staying in the room, of course, and Steve Salaba in his dress greens, Tom Vinson, Joy and Aaron Lanterman, Jerrie, Nancy Barber(nlbarber), Lois came by for a while, Victoria L'Ecuyer (whose name I probably
misspelled, but it's pronounced like Liquer! And as Scott observed, she's sweet and intoxicating. She and Scott are clearly Hat People.), Stephanie Folse, Louann Miller, Patrick McKinnion(patgund), a lady whose name I'm forgetting but was Very Pink, and undoubtedly later someone will mention other people and I'll think "of course, yes, they were there too!" There was food and drink, silly picture taking, Hat Frolics, lewd things done with fruit, stories, and general good times. We got to bed extraordinarily late. (After I finished the last of the pilgrim ribbon braiding for my Saturday hall costume.)
Got up the next morning full of eagerness for the reading Lois was doing at 10 am. Really hoped they were NOT doing it in the tiny reading room I'd seen the night before - no, they had the good sense to move it. Got into my hall costume, started getting paranoid and worried when the babysitter hadn't arrived. Dear sweet Karl sent me down on my own, and then he and Lynette juggled things with the babysitter
arriving a bit late. She watched my three kids for most of the day, and Mark Eddy's George for part of the morning - then Mark took George to run an errand and they never came back.
The reading was marvelous. I'd met Lois several times at signings and fan dinners and such, but never heard her do a reading. What a lovely treat! I am very much looking forward to The Hallowed Hunt coming out. I expect to be frothing at the mouth by the time it's published. Lois talked some about Winterfair Gifts, which is in the Irresistible Forces anthology, a good book that sadly the dealers' room didn't have, and some people are having trouble finding it. I heavily recommend it. I already had mine, and got it signed by her later. I will definitely work hard to get to readings by Lois in the future. That was great.
Saturday had a lot of alternating between Doing Con Stuff and regularly running back up to the room to check on the babysitter and feed Jamie. Managed to get Maggie to take a nap. I got Lois to sign our three versions of Winterfair Gifts, Karl got to the gaming panel he wanted, I went to the Tolkien's Legacy panel that Lois was on, and did various wandering in the dealers' room. (Final total for the weekend - astronomy shirt for Brendan, Mad Scientists' business card case for Karl, purple fairy shirt for me, amethyst hair
ornament for me, two books and two chapbooks from Yard Dog Press, and a children's book for the kids. I WANT some of the swords and daggers from Knighthawk Armory - latex boffer swords! And it turns out Pegasus Publishing isn't far from here at all, and I can special order the shirts I want in colors OTHER than black!)
Got to hear most of Lois's Q&A time until Brendan got too difficult. Karl had given up pretty early and taken the babies upstairs. We were meeting up with people for dinner plans, and got to meet the Pouncer clan! The kids are every bit as cute as their photos, and now I finally know what Pouncer and Mrs. Pouncer look like. Didn't end up doing dinner with them, as the group was either going to do chinese, which I didn't think I could eat, or Mongolian, which I knew couldn't be safe for Brendan's diet. And NursingMama me was getting HUNGRY, and wanting a sure thing - so the five of us plus Patrick went out for steak, yum.
In the evening Scott and Lynette took Maggie out party-hopping with them, and Karl and I got to wander a bit, and eventually lots of people ended up back in 411 again for listie socializing. A lovely evening. Watching Aaron speaking fluent Baby with Jamie - with the most adorable accent - was entrancing! Even got the kids to go to sleep in 412. Karl and I were up very late again. Patrick brought over his laptop
and cell phone and brought up various WEIRD things that various of us knew about - the Trojan olympics page, and... well, and weirder things.
Sunday I ended up going down for a good breakfast. We signed out of our room, but kept the essential stuff in with Scott and Lynette's - and left the connecting door open for more runaround space for the kids. We made sure Karl got to his Gurps panel, and I went to the panel about women and writing that Lois was on - at least part of it - mention of a particular book sent me slipping off to the dealer's room. Oh, and I made sure someone dragged Scott over to see the "Gothnix" shirt that said "Nice boots. Wanna fsck?"
(Listies will understand this...)
In the dealer room on Sunday I thanked Lois for being there - not only for herself, the great reading and the panels and signing and all that, but because her presence brought all these listie friends I don't usually get to see - Lois is a great excuse for a party.
Sunday late afternoon/early evening we ended up with a group of us hanging out in the lobby, after several of us had bought books from Lee Martindale & had them signed. Karl came back from having taken the kids out to get himself something to eat. Maggie was being hyper and clearly overdue for a nap. There was discussion of where was that nearby Sushi restaurant I'd looked up for the group, supposedly within walking distance, and people wanted to go. I am NOT a sushi type (I figured once I found out caviar was nasty, I wouldn't like sushi either), but decided I was really enjoying the socializing, and okay, I'd go, maybe I'd see something I dared eat, maybe not. I figured I could at least get rice, right? So I went along with Jamie and Brendan, and Karl took Maggie upstairs to get her a nap.
After a short break to drop stuff off, we regrouped - with Patrick, Joy and Aaron, Nancy, and Jerrie. We did find the sushi place, it was within walking distance. And it was closed on Sunday. There I was, brave enough to go, but no. In the same strip mall was a Family Rice and Noodle restaurant, so we went there. I knew I liked Yoshinoya chicken bowls, so I had hibachi chicken, and it was YUMMY! Discussion over dinner was great fun. Joy decided afterwards that we needed to go get dessert - and we found a place in
the same strip mall that did fast food and desserts and ice cream, and had some. We considered a bookstore run - but it was late, there'd been the dealer's room, and it was starting to sprinkle.
Oh, we've decided we need to find a fan artist type to draw Aaron as Cupid with an Uzi. It came up as part of an interesting discussion.
I had decided to release two Bookcrossing books at the Con. One my friend Patrick asked for, so that got to be a "directed release", and the other was left in the front lobby, with one of the bookcrossing postit notes on the front, and it was gone later.
Lynette and Scott did an AMAZING amount of helping us with the kids over the weekend, and I am SO grateful. Thank you very much! And I look forward to getting emailed picture files from the marvelous people who took pictures with us.
The thunderstorm has passed, and the sun is out, because it takes me hours to type all this around the kids. Boy, I had a good time. I'm sure I've forgotten interesting bits, I'm still feeling rather sleep deprived. Had to get up early to get Brendan off to school this morning. Wheee, I want to do it again!
It was good. We headed off awfully late Friday - I'd had an upsetting afternoon, and Karl (
selenite) had been feeling unwell, so we ran very late in getting the MOUNTAIN of stuff into the van and heading off. (Taking 3 kids to a con, 2 in diapers, and one on a special diet, involves a lot of stuff, even pared to a bare minimum.) We got there and got a bunch of friendly people from Scott(tygerr) and Lynette's(meerkat1) room party (we had connecting rooms, which made it fun!) to come help get the whole pile of stuff up there. I am very grateful to them. Karl spent part of the evening resting in our room and working on feeling better, only got to hang out with part of the party. I was juggling kid care and getting help from lots of lovely people. Maggie enjoyed running around and getting attention from all these people, and Jamie even got handed around some, and glittered by the Pilot as a side effect. He also managed to pull off Pilot Padget's left implant and lose it - Scott, did you ever find it? - causing him to declare that Jamie would grow up to be Bothari. What a horrid thing to say to such a sweet little baby. Lessee, some of the people that were there - Scott and Lynette and Danielle were staying in the room, of course, and Steve Salaba in his dress greens, Tom Vinson, Joy and Aaron Lanterman, Jerrie, Nancy Barber(
nlbarber), Lois came by for a while, Victoria L'Ecuyer (whose name I probably misspelled, but it's pronounced like Liquer! And as Scott observed, she's sweet and intoxicating. She and Scott are clearly Hat People.), Stephanie Folse, Louann Miller, Patrick McKinnion(
patgund), a lady whose name I'm forgetting but was Very Pink, and undoubtedly later someone will mention other people and I'll think "of course, yes, they were there too!" There was food and drink, silly picture taking, Hat Frolics, lewd things done with fruit, stories, and general good times. We got to bed extraordinarily late. (After I finished the last of the pilgrim ribbon braiding for my Saturday hall costume.)Got up the next morning full of eagerness for the reading Lois was doing at 10 am. Really hoped they were NOT doing it in the tiny reading room I'd seen the night before - no, they had the good sense to move it. Got into my hall costume, started getting paranoid and worried when the babysitter hadn't arrived. Dear sweet Karl sent me down on my own, and then he and Lynette juggled things with the babysitter
arriving a bit late. She watched my three kids for most of the day, and Mark Eddy's George for part of the morning - then Mark took George to run an errand and they never came back.
The reading was marvelous. I'd met Lois several times at signings and fan dinners and such, but never heard her do a reading. What a lovely treat! I am very much looking forward to The Hallowed Hunt coming out. I expect to be frothing at the mouth by the time it's published. Lois talked some about Winterfair Gifts, which is in the Irresistible Forces anthology, a good book that sadly the dealers' room didn't have, and some people are having trouble finding it. I heavily recommend it. I already had mine, and got it signed by her later. I will definitely work hard to get to readings by Lois in the future. That was great.
Saturday had a lot of alternating between Doing Con Stuff and regularly running back up to the room to check on the babysitter and feed Jamie. Managed to get Maggie to take a nap. I got Lois to sign our three versions of Winterfair Gifts, Karl got to the gaming panel he wanted, I went to the Tolkien's Legacy panel that Lois was on, and did various wandering in the dealers' room. (Final total for the weekend - astronomy shirt for Brendan, Mad Scientists' business card case for Karl, purple fairy shirt for me, amethyst hair
ornament for me, two books and two chapbooks from Yard Dog Press, and a children's book for the kids. I WANT some of the swords and daggers from Knighthawk Armory - latex boffer swords! And it turns out Pegasus Publishing isn't far from here at all, and I can special order the shirts I want in colors OTHER than black!)
Got to hear most of Lois's Q&A time until Brendan got too difficult. Karl had given up pretty early and taken the babies upstairs. We were meeting up with people for dinner plans, and got to meet the Pouncer clan! The kids are every bit as cute as their photos, and now I finally know what Pouncer and Mrs. Pouncer look like. Didn't end up doing dinner with them, as the group was either going to do chinese, which I didn't think I could eat, or Mongolian, which I knew couldn't be safe for Brendan's diet. And NursingMama me was getting HUNGRY, and wanting a sure thing - so the five of us plus Patrick went out for steak, yum.
In the evening Scott and Lynette took Maggie out party-hopping with them, and Karl and I got to wander a bit, and eventually lots of people ended up back in 411 again for listie socializing. A lovely evening. Watching Aaron speaking fluent Baby with Jamie - with the most adorable accent - was entrancing! Even got the kids to go to sleep in 412. Karl and I were up very late again. Patrick brought over his laptop
and cell phone and brought up various WEIRD things that various of us knew about - the Trojan olympics page, and... well, and weirder things.
Sunday I ended up going down for a good breakfast. We signed out of our room, but kept the essential stuff in with Scott and Lynette's - and left the connecting door open for more runaround space for the kids. We made sure Karl got to his Gurps panel, and I went to the panel about women and writing that Lois was on - at least part of it - mention of a particular book sent me slipping off to the dealer's room. Oh, and I made sure someone dragged Scott over to see the "Gothnix" shirt that said "Nice boots. Wanna fsck?"
(Listies will understand this...)
In the dealer room on Sunday I thanked Lois for being there - not only for herself, the great reading and the panels and signing and all that, but because her presence brought all these listie friends I don't usually get to see - Lois is a great excuse for a party.
Sunday late afternoon/early evening we ended up with a group of us hanging out in the lobby, after several of us had bought books from Lee Martindale & had them signed. Karl came back from having taken the kids out to get himself something to eat. Maggie was being hyper and clearly overdue for a nap. There was discussion of where was that nearby Sushi restaurant I'd looked up for the group, supposedly within walking distance, and people wanted to go. I am NOT a sushi type (I figured once I found out caviar was nasty, I wouldn't like sushi either), but decided I was really enjoying the socializing, and okay, I'd go, maybe I'd see something I dared eat, maybe not. I figured I could at least get rice, right? So I went along with Jamie and Brendan, and Karl took Maggie upstairs to get her a nap.
After a short break to drop stuff off, we regrouped - with Patrick, Joy and Aaron, Nancy, and Jerrie. We did find the sushi place, it was within walking distance. And it was closed on Sunday. There I was, brave enough to go, but no. In the same strip mall was a Family Rice and Noodle restaurant, so we went there. I knew I liked Yoshinoya chicken bowls, so I had hibachi chicken, and it was YUMMY! Discussion over dinner was great fun. Joy decided afterwards that we needed to go get dessert - and we found a place in
the same strip mall that did fast food and desserts and ice cream, and had some. We considered a bookstore run - but it was late, there'd been the dealer's room, and it was starting to sprinkle.
Oh, we've decided we need to find a fan artist type to draw Aaron as Cupid with an Uzi. It came up as part of an interesting discussion.
I had decided to release two Bookcrossing books at the Con. One my friend Patrick asked for, so that got to be a "directed release", and the other was left in the front lobby, with one of the bookcrossing postit notes on the front, and it was gone later.
Lynette and Scott did an AMAZING amount of helping us with the kids over the weekend, and I am SO grateful. Thank you very much! And I look forward to getting emailed picture files from the marvelous people who took pictures with us.
The thunderstorm has passed, and the sun is out, because it takes me hours to type all this around the kids. Boy, I had a good time. I'm sure I've forgotten interesting bits, I'm still feeling rather sleep deprived. Had to get up early to get Brendan off to school this morning. Wheee, I want to do it again!
