Rosemary Kirstein

Actually, back since Wednesday night.   The blizzard delayed me returning Tuesday, so I had an extra day with Ann Zeddies and Geary Gravel.

Which was lovely indeed.   “Ah,” says I, “I am now inspired both by the excellent convention, and the time spent with my fellow writers,  and shall devote all my time to cranking out out great mounds of brilliant prose.”

All my time aside from the DayJob, that is, which pays the rent and supplies the indispensable health insurance.  You know.

Plus: sick kitty, oh noes!   A certain amount of worry and phone calls and shuttling to the vet was required.   Meds for the kitty worked, thankfully.

Much.  Calmer.  Now.

So, the Convention:

I was not staying at the convention hotel this time — and that really does make a huge difference in the whole experience.

Ann, Geary, my sister and I were all staying in New Hampshire with dear friends who have the most amazing house.   And spending time with them was a treat in itself.

But the convention was less than it could be.     I could not do much on the spur of the moment, could not hang out to all ridiculous hours, could not socialize as much as I wanted to, nor attend many panels that I was not part of myself.

Things I wanted to do but could not: attend either of Kate Nepveu’s program items; attend the reading by Chad Orzel; attend David Anthony Durham’s reading; attend Walter Hunt’s reading; attend anything with Melinda Snodgrass on it; see if I could spend some time with Jo Walton;  see the Zelazny play that was put on ( actually sat down in the audience, then realized that I was really tired, and still had to get back to New Hampshire!); and many more…

On the upside, we were hanging out in the Con Suite, catching a bite to eat, when Melinda Snodgrass sat down with us and just started shooting the breeze (we discussed Facebook); and David Anthony Durham was on a panel with me, so I just turned to him, introduced myself,  and told him how much I was enjoying Acacia (he was all Aw Shucks — so charming!).   And I actually moderated a panel (about the Heroine’s Journey), which I have decided I’m pretty good at, and don’t do often enough.  And I ran into Kate and Chad, and got my copy of How to Teach Physics to Your Dog autographed.   Plus, at my panels, and my autographing, many people made a point of telling me how much they enjoyed my work.

So, good convention –but I wanted more!   Thus, next time: stay at the hotel.

I only managed to attend one science presentation: Geoffrey Landis on NASA’s mission to the sun!   I was so hungry for science that I spent the whole time bolt upright in my chair, jaw dropped in happy astonishment.   I don’t think I blinked once.

Gotta get more of that!

.. the convention in Boston.    I’ll be  posting  a con report, but not yet — first I’m taking a couple of days off of the DayJob to hang with my pals and fellow authors Ann Tonsor Zeddies  and Geary Gravel.

Just some sci-fi writers, shooting the breeze, drinking champagne, spinning dreams at each other.

Oh, and laughing like loons.   We do that a lot.

I hate fantasy books about politics.

And yet, I’m currently loving David Anthony Durham‘s Acacia.

He’s that good.

Every sentence is good.   Every sentence is alive, and makes me want to meet the next sentence.

I’ll be on a panel with him this weekend at Boskone.

(Okay, back to work…)

Don’t worry — I didn’t spend any of my own hard-earned money on this baby.

Apparently I have been at my DayJob long enough in actual years to earn a token of their appreciation.    Which took the form of a list of cool things, from which I could pick, the idea being that the person picking would not know how much the company actually spent on the item.

Of course, I work in Accounting, where I See All Numbers.   On which subject I shall remain silent.

Let’s just say that I could have used the money instead…  but that was not an option.

Anyway, I now unexpectedly own a 64 gig iPod touch.  Which is a hell of a thing.

It’s basically a computer.  Just… little.    I am delighted by it.

Partly, I think, because I have some inkling of what it took to make this thing be what it is.  There’s some amazing programming that went into it, clearly.   Makes me miss being a programmer.

Cool things I can do:  anything on the internet; maps, weather, timers.   Music, podcasts, audiobooks.   Downloaded an excellent astronomy application.  Email.

Meanwhile: writing, musing, getting ready for Boskone.   The blizzard attacked us this morning, but now seems to have calmed down.   I’m working upstairs in order to be able to hear the snowplows when they come, so I can know when to move my car.   Bonus: actual natural light (my home office is in a finished basement).

Thus, nothing actually substantive to say here, as I am currently applying all my substantiveness substance to The Book.  I plan to be very busy with it today.