Michael's Meanderings

Once again I'm using WiFi at the Corner Bakery Cafe, but a different building. Found a table with power so the batteries won't run out! I've uploaded the last two days to LJ, but will leave today until tomorrow!

Dispite the lower temperature during the night I woke at 3am and didn't get back to sleep until after 4am, then I woke up at 6:30, and got up.

Only a few LJ entries, read outside the hostel! (no connectivityin the room). So got to breakfast by 7:15 had an Anaheim Scrambler and coffee, and spent nearly an hour on my eeePC.

My right ring finger has swollen up overnight and I'm starting to get worried. Got to CCC and did some exploring, met Ruth B again while looking at the Rockies from the Exhibit Hall D foyer. This floor is where the dealers and art show are hosted. After ten my finger was swelling and turning purple and I decided I had to do somthing. First I went to the con info desk, they suggested the CCC info desk and the lady there called their in-house paramedic who arrived on a vehical, the front half of which was a wheel chair and the back half was a bicycle! He phoned around trying to track down a ring cutter. Eventually he took me to the other end of the building, and the fire station next door, where they used a tiny cutting wheel to slice the back of my ring and a leatherman to bend the parts back so the ring could be removed.

Dispite my misgiving that I'd miss half the day's events the episode only took an half hour from beginning to end. If it hadn't ben done then, who knows how things would have progessed. It all happened so quickly that I was able to get to the first program item, "Writers as Readers" with Lois McMaster Bujold, George RR Martin and Connie Willis in plenty of time (and I've now got a unique con anecote! and a reminder of Denver!

I've noticed that my long distance vision is not very good, dispite recent new glases. I couldn't read the name tags from near the middle of the hall. sat behind filkferengi and Suford L and Franz joined us. After the panel filkferengi and I went over to say hi to Lois. I was a bit suprised when she gave me a hug and then we sat down for a chat for over an hour, then toured the dealers room, Lois stopping to sign stuff when asked. One of the requests was from Farah M, who I knew from UK fandom.

After Lois left for a panel I continued around the dealers room buying the latest Bujold hardcover from NESFA (out this weekend!) I then went for a look around the Art Show. Some very cool stuff including a head shot of Lois McMaster Bujold in the style of Futurerama!

I then went looking for next year's worldcon, and signed up for Anticipation in Montreal next August. This meant I was a bit late for the "Age and Wisdon: The Older Protagonist in SF" panel with Elizabeth Moon, Larry Niven, Robert Silverberg and Lois, (m) Margaret Bonham. I left after an hour as i was feeling peckish. Unfortunatly when I got outside it was raining, so I turned back and bought a CCC muffin for $3.50! Anyway the long walk from one end of the CCC to the other meant I missed the first 10 minutes of the opening ceremony, Including Lois' introduction <snif> and that there was standing room only! It finished by 6 without much fanfair, and morphed into the Summerfair on Barrayar party, with quizes, dancing, music and good conversation.

Got a hug frompersis and photos of Wee Talis with instruction to pass one on to Big Talis (though hight wise they are now on a par!) Met James B again, we really need to get to meet in England sometime, meeting in the Americas at worldcon just seems wrong. Lois also introduced me to her daughter and to Lillian Stuart Carl again. Also chatted to Molly B who created banners for the worlds Lois had crated in the Nexus, and to Irene who's hosting Thursday's Listie curry. There were nearly a dozen listies chatting when we were turfed out of the room, andnlbarber andgrowlycub and I braved the continuing rain for the Crown Plaza and sat in the bar for a bit, checked to see if it was still raining (it was) and retired to nlbarber's room, where I contacted my bank on-line to see if they could sort out my inabilty to get cash. Left nlbarber to crash around 10 an I started to wander back to the hostel.

Still feeling peckish (despite nibles during Summefair) I went looking for fast food, only to discover everything seemed to close at 10pm, and since it was by then 10:05 I wasout of luck. But since I was passing the Sheraton, where the srmpublishing party was, I decided to pop up to the 22nd party floor, get a few nibbles and say hi tokinzel &rolanni  (check LJ names) also to get out of the rain! Then back to the hostel, damp but not drenched, did some conrep updates and then to bed 11:30ish.