Now I realize I failed to add this to the first post, but it really came into play after the first day. My younger son and my sister were part of the volunteer staff (when I didn’t have the energy, I provided an extra body ;)), but even where I didn’t know any of the staff, they were wonderful. Crys in the con suite was kind enough to point me to the sources of dark chocolate and though I have blanked on her name (apologies), one of the women in the green room similarly brought the dark into being when I was about.

Everyone I talked to was helpful, enthusiastic, and genuinely enjoying themselves. I spent a good bit of time hanging out with the volunteers because it was fun. I’m putting this up at the top, because it’s easy in the rush and tumble of the events, panels, and vendors to neglect a mention to the horde of folks who put in anything from an hour to several days to keep things running behind the scenes. I know there was some frustration with the restrictions placed on the con compared to venues that are more used to what hosting a science fiction con means (and I hope we’ll see more conventions here until these venues do Grok us), but the staff and volunteers managed to work around the limitations and didn’t let the frustration sour their moods to pull off an incredible experience with something to offer pretty much everyone at any one moment…and often more than one thing.

Also, a minor correction on yesterday’s post, which I account for as con-grey: the state you are in right as the con ends and everything blurs together into a sense of wonder…ful.

As my husband pointed out, the dinner with Jed was the second night, not the first. The first day, after the Tricky Pixie concert, I took my son and his fiancee to a local soup and sandwich shop called Sup (with an umlaut over the U) that is delicious. Then I raced back in time to see Godson (a play based on a Roger Zelazny short story) and to see my younger son’s theatrical debut…as a stage hand.

Thursday began part of the programming I participated in every day of the con, the “Stroll with the Stars,” organized by Stu Segal. It offered a great reason to be up and back at the con each day, something that was a bit of a struggle at times, and I had wonderful conversations about life, Reno, fake sugar, writing and more with a variety of people who fell among the star category, other participants, and members. I talked with Ellen Datlow (whose career I have followed since the Omni days), Sheila Williams of Asimov’s, Scott Edelman (who moderated one of on the panels I was on), Bill Willingham (who my older son would have loved to meet), Connie Willis, and dozens others, including catching up with a BayCon friend of mine Juliette Wade. Though some people were picking brains, I don’t think I formally introduced myself to anyone, and our conversations were just as likely to be about the dangers of feral fire hydrants. My only regret was that I didn’t tell Sheila Williams how much I enjoy Asimov’s. It’s a great way to start off the morning and to see people whose names you’ve known for a lifetime as real people too.

The rest of the day was a bit chaotic, with a side trip to try a gourmet food truck then a visit from my parents, who were on their way out of the state, so I didn’t get to go to many panels. Still, I talked to a bunch of people and enjoyed myself so much that we forgot to pick up our CSA (community supported agriculture) basket for the first time this year (blush).

I managed to get back from my errands just in time for my very first Kaffeeklatsch. I chose to sign up with my friend Juliette Wade as support (and for the chance to catch up), but it was unnecessary. The seats at her table were taken up by eager participants. It was fun to see her interacting with fans, colleagues, and future fans as she talked about the inspirations and linguistics behind her Analog stories.

I did get to my husband’s panel on world building (by accident because I thought I was missing his panel in favor of that one…oops) and enjoyed the different perspectives offered on how and why you should either translate or create something completely different.

I had meant to get back to the con in time for the clay sculpting demo, but was having too much fun listening to Colin and Jed talk about high school, along with some writing discussions, to pay attention to the time. All three of us peeked in on the Genius Ball to admire the costumes, then headed up for a quick stroll through the parties and off to home to sleep…after all, we had to be back at 9am for the next stroll.

If you’re getting the impression that I didn’t go to that many panels/events, you would be correct. It’s one of the costs of being local and of life not coming to a halt when the con starts, along with trying to be in the green room before my panels in case people showed up to discuss the topic before the panel began. However, that in no way hindered my enjoyment as you might have guessed. Each con is a little different, and takes a moment to find your footing. What I love about cons is more the atmosphere of people who want to think about things, whether they are how science should be approached, or Scott Edelman’s search for the foodie oddity in each of the con cities he visits. It’s dynamic, lively, and if you focus so much on the events that you let the opportunity of a good conversation slip by, you’re missing something wonderful.

And on that note, I’ve gone on too long again. Just think, I might be able to condense the next three days into a single post…I might. However, I’m planning a break for my regular programming as I skipped a book review last week already.