callistra | The Megasigning....

Today has been quite a day! Hmmm, what did I do…?

I attended some panels! I went to Connie Willis’ panel, which gave rise some interesting thoughts about creativity and being raised in a naturally creative environment. I have bad news for the kids; once again I’d like to limit their screen time LOL and make them play using their imaginations! Bwahahahaha. However, we asked people about this and it all varies, plus I am aware that memories are not always what they seem, and the general consensus was either yes or not encouraged but not quashed either.

I think I posted the last of yesterday’s post during Connie’s panel, so I am sure you don’t need to hear about it again. I spent some time in the con suite – I don’t know if I have explained this properly. It’s a couple of hotel rooms, one section of the second is for con staff only, and there’s munchies, sandwich makings, softdrink, water, tea and coffee and hot chocolate, and meals. I hung out there a bit this morning, and talked a woman named Linda, and met Corby’s wife and daughter (Charlie and I am afraid I have forgotten Corby’s wife’s name). It was nice just sitting there and filling out the postcard and letter.

I rocked up after Connie’s panel hoping for a sandwich, but it was past 2:00pm so everything had been packed away for the Clarion party! There was salsa and hummous and munchies and triple ginger cookies (they were nice) but no sandwich. So I went to the terrace deli and bought minestrone soup in a bread boule, and got an upgrade for a raspberry drink. I sat quietly in the sun and posted my post. I think I am getting a tan. I came back to the hotel room to change and jumped in the spa for a bit where I met Gini Koch, who writes alien novels. After that I came back to the room and tried to chat with John, eventually gave up and then accidentally had a nap! Yay nap…except it turns out I missed the Neil Gaiman and Connie Willis chat. L

So I headed down thinking about where I might have dinner, and gravitated to the con suite again where I joined a long conga line of people, a good chunk of whom I have met the night before and there were delights ahead of me! There was smoked marinated pulled pork, sweet and sour pork, Korean ribs with kim chee, fish, noodles, pasta salad, green salad, marinated chicken, and I am sure I am forgetting a few things. I found Carol and her Clarionites and we had dinner together, and then Ted Chiang joined us for a bit.

The signing was open, so we mosied along, and then stood in the foyer chatting for a while. I took the moment to squee all over Ted about his story Exhalation. Then I took a deep breath (and a lemonade) and headed into the fray.

Imagine a ballroom. Tables are arranged in four or five rows down the room, and a row along the back. There’s about a hundred authors sitting behind the tables with name tags and several hundred people wandering around trying to get signatures. Some people have little suitcases filled with books they hope to get signed. I saw so many people! Tamora Pierce had a sign but she didn’t show, but Todd McCaffrey was there, Sean Williams, Garth Nix, Deb Biancotti, Russell and Jenny Blackford, Allison Goodman (I think it’s Goodman), Neil Gaiman, Connie Willis, Peter S Beagle, Tim Powers, Kate Elliott, Gini Koch, Frankie Robertson, Nancy Kilpatrick, S. T. Stirling (I think), Scott Lynch, I dunno, heaps and heaps and heaps of people! I was sitting at Gregory Benford’s chair, and Anastasia made me sign her programme LOL

I talked to heaps of people, and had a great time. I spotted Rachel Swirsky and she seems really lovely, and she thought Tansy and every one lived in Perth. I introduced her to Alisa, and she was saying they were going to the bar and invited me along. And yet here I am in bed writing this post LOL.

I did wander through the Tor party and the Bizzarro party, but didn’t stay. I might head out again in a bit, but then again I might not.
Well, I headed out again and went to the pub, found Alisa and Jonathan and had a beer with them, then went through the Tor party and back to the Canadian party. I tried icewine, and two cocktails (the Toronto and a Maple Leaf (it had bourbon, lemon juice and maple syrup.) I chatted with John and some one called Dave for a bit, chatted with Katherine and her new friend for a bit and eventually came home to really sleep in until about nine-ish.