Saturday Confusion

Well, Saturday morning started with me trying to get free wireless to check emails. A new story to critique came in and I checked some blogs. Then Tobias' wife sat down near me and started knitting, then another author's wife came in with their child, and we talked all morning. I was going to go to some panels, but that all got swept away.

I had brought my copy of "The Android's Dream" by John Scalzi to get signed. I ran into John after checking out the dealer's room. He had me walk down the hallway with him to get his signature. He said hi to other people, handed off some ARCs to some bookstore dealers, and then we stopped in front of a video camera set up and he signed the book. I said something about not keeping him from his interview, and John replied that it was okay because it looked good (signing a book). I offered to interrupt the interview in fifteen minutes and do a "Mr. Scalzi, Mr. Scalzi, you're my favorite writer evar!" routine.

I went to a couple of panels, and then back to the dealer's room and purchased two t-shirts ("Cephelopod" and "Yin and Yarr"). I went back and checked some blogs and commented on John's blog about not seeing anybody kiss his skull (it's a long story if you don't know). John asked me what I was doing and I told him. He then said I should just make something up, keep it entertaining. Well, he asked. Were-fore I spun a tale of horror and furries. Bwa-ha ha ha. It's something that still comes up on his blog comments (okay, well, mostly by me).

I don't remember all of the afternoon. I did meat a lot of interesting people, one of whom checked out my blog and put me in his RSS feed (Hi!).

Come dinnertime, everybody I knew had plans and I wasn't going to bust in on them. And it was time to get out of the hotel. If you go to a con, make sure you get out of the hotel at least once. So I got in my car and started driving. Eventually I found a little place called Anton's Family Restaurant. Nice place, where the people eating across form me knew their waitress (kids went to school together) and people knew each other and waved and said hi. Nice place, nice food, good price. Also, as a table of one, they didn't make me feel second class (as has happened before).

When I came back to the hotel, Dave Kletcha was holding court with his unruly mob of friends. I asked to join and was invited in. I'm going to forget most of the names (sorry), but you were all fun. His sister, and budding lawyer, and other writers. All fun. I had a blast, except for the slow (non-existent) wait service. But it was fun. Tobias eventually joined in. John kept taking breaks from the dance to say hi. At some point a drumming a belly-dancing group formed behind us. It made it difficult to talk, and for me to hear what was being said. Eventually they left and Dave, Tobias and I talked until way to late in the evening. But it was fun.

Edited 02-05 at 6:22pm, Because some people may not look at the comments, and I think very cool people need to be recognized for being cool, Merrie Haskell, one of the Kletcha unruly mob, comments with the names of the people I had a great time with. They are (Mary) Lou (Dave's sister), Julie the lawyer, the other Julie and Merrie Haskell herself. Cool people all. (As an FYI, the authors' wives will remain anonymous as I don't know if they wished to be named).