Philcon report, such as it is

[lagilman]

And another Philcon has come and gone. Not a great one, not a bad one, either. Spent much of the weekend in the bar with the usual suspects, includng aynjel, dpva, and ferragus, and was gifted with a "MaltCon 04" badge, as per previous discussion about the programming (or lack thereof, until the last minute). The programming was light, but that made for reasonably well-attended panels, and some good discussions, including one on the care and feeding of a writer's psyche, with myself and Ace author Robert Metzger, that touched on authorial paranoia, how a good scientific hypothosis is like a story plot, the manic-depressive seesaw inherent in reader feedback, and other such joys. And during my Friday night panel, we apparently managed to really change someone's life. Kid thee not. She said so, right in front of witnesses. Amazing how a little information in the right place can do such wonders.

Other than that, it was a convention, as such conventions are. Nothing jumped out at me in either the dealer's room or the art show, for which I and my budget are thankful, but I was gifted with a lovely bottle of single malt for the holidays. Can't wait to try it, and see if I have an expansion of the addiction (it's a 15 year old Macallan Fine Oak). Need to find something new to bring in the flask for Boskone, to see if I can impress the Saints o' the Flask (impossible, perhaps, but a noble goal). Signed an almost silly number of books in the dealer's room (Murder by Magic, Powers of Detection, Staying Dead, ReVisons and Five Seasons of Angel were all there in quantity). Also managed to get some serious writing in, thanks to helpfully quiet roommates and some e-mail prodding with a sharp stick. So although I'm not as far along as I'd like to be, WhThFu is on schedule, with almost 13,000 words in the can on the WiP.

And, as always when I'm involved, there was Eating. Friday night some of us (including kradical) went to Tria for some excellent wine and cheese and bresola, and then to the art show reception, where I was part of the "molten chocolate revolution." Come the Revolution, let them drink fondue! (was a hell of a lot better than the booze at the reception bar, tell you that). On Satuday a group of us went to Alma de Cuba for the second year in a row. Fois gras and fig empanadas. Mojito martinis. And more. Feelin' no pain. Feelin no pain at all. Not even when the check arrived.

And then home in record time (no traffic!) to the felines, who, contrary to expectations had taken apart neither each other nor my belongings (that I've discovered, anyway). Still snarling and hissing, yeah, but there seems to be a more reciprocal tone to it, now (he leaps, she growls, he runs away; he taunts, she growls and leaps, he runs away -- Badger was right, it's fourth grade flirting. If they could just do it, y'know, quietly!). And for the first time since she joined the household, Pandora did NOT meet me at the door after a weekend away going "biiiitch, you leffffft meeee!" So I call that part of the addition of Boomer a success.

And now I need to do some laundry, and fall over.

Comments

[kalligraphy.livejournal.com]

Interesting, for some reason this post ended up in my friends list sandwiched between two posts made on 12/10. So somehow, you managed to post your con report two days before you posted your con report. So OK, out with the splainin, where did you get the time machine?

On other news the Saints O' the Flask will not be attending Boskone, our next scheduled appearance is Lunacon. I am sure there will be much sharing of the joy there. :)