My first WorldCon, etc., #5

We arrived in Denver shortly after lunch (at the first Carl’s Jr. I’d seen in years – I wish we had Carl’s Jr. in western Washington, but we don’t, alas), and went looking for a quilt shop the ladies on my quilting list had recommended. And looking. And looking. We finally found it after driving past it twice. It was a lovely shop, but ye godlings, they need better signage. M bought fabric for her quilt group (they have a pleasant tradition of bringing fat quarters back from vacation for each other), and I found some white on whites that I hadn’t seen before (I love hand-dyeing white on white prints) as well as a really nifty animals-of-the-Rocky-Mountains print. After that we went in search of the house I lived in when I lived in Denver in 1974-76. I found it from memory without any trouble at all [g]. I was glad to see that it still looks like it’s loved, and that the neighborhood looks taken care of.

Then we headed downtown to find our hotel.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Denver. But I really hate one-way streets that make no logical sense. I swear we went round in circles half a dozen times trying to get into the hotel driveway, which we kept seeing but not being able to get to. We did manage at last, and got settled in, then walked the three blocks to the Colorado Convention Center, an absolutely huge place with a big blue bear leaning on the glass like he’s trying to get in, to register for the con. I’m glad we checked in at the con on Tuesday afternoon, and not just because that got us the program schedule to peruse the night before everything started. I saw the registration lines Wednesday morning. They were awful.

The con was fabulous. It was my first WorldCon, and I freely admit that I was completely overwhelmed. My two main purposes in being there were the writing and publishing stuff, and Lois Bujold and the listees (which sounds like a bad pop group, but are in reality quite wonderful). I came out of it in the first purpose with my head feeling like a stuffed sausage casing, and in the second purpose with many faces to put to names, and Lois’s speeches and readings. I’ll try to hit the highlights in the next post.

( photos, but only of the bear )

My first WorldCon, etc., #6

Highlights of the con. Right. Basically it was 100% highlights. The publishing panels were brilliant – the one on query letters was the first panel I went to, and every panel I went to after that held up the high standard it set. I won’t go into detail on them except to say that they inspired me.

Most people reading this are more interested in the Bujold stuff, anyway [g]. Poor Lois had a cold, and I am amazed that her voice held out. Almost as amazed as I was watching the aplomb with which she handled the extremely demanding role of GoH. I would have been absolutely terrified to be in her position, but then I’m a terminal introvert. There’s many places on the web where you can either read about her GoH speech, or read discussions about it. I have to say it was very brave of her to speak about romance to a crowd of SF fans, or maybe it’s not such a taboo thing to do anymore, but it was wonderful, IMHO.

Thursday was the big socializing day. Several of us went out to breakfast, Lois included, which was lovely. And the curry party was that night. James cooked, and sekhmet’s parents hosted, and I haven’t had that much fun while being social since I was in grad school seventeen years ago. I have so many faces to put to names on both LJ and the Bujold list that it’s not even funny. It’s terrific. Speaking of being social, the whole con was like this other world – or maybe I was another person while I was there – because it was like old home week with a bunch of people I’d never met before, which under any other circumstances would have had me in gibbering terror. Absolutely marvelous.

Saturday Lois read us the first two chapters from the new Miles book. Again, there’s plenty of places on the web to read about the content (you could start with http://lists.herald.co.uk/pipermail/lois-bujold/2008-August/date.html and scroll down), so I won’t get into that. Suffice to say I was enthralled, and am not quite sure how we’re all supposed to wait an indefinite period till we actually get the thing. I made the mistake of not going to the TSK: Horizon reading, because I had been to a Horizon reading when Lois was out here in June promoting the third book and I stupidly assumed that she was going to read the same part. Stupid, stupid. Alas.

Anyway, by Sunday afternoon when M and I checked out of the hotel, I really did feel like a sausage casing. I’m thoroughly surprised that my brain didn’t explode. It was one of the most fun times I’ve had being social in my life.

Next up, Rocky Mountain National Park.

( more pictures )