179 The weekend- F & S

 

Friday: Showed up to ArmadilloCon for opening ceremonies at 7:30 pm,
Ignored by main/registration desk personnel. Chastised for not
remembering that I had requested a different 'badge name' than my
real name. I registered for this in mid-august, so excuse the fuck
out of me for not remembering that I'd done that. But, whatever. I
got my badge and went on in. Skipped the 'meet the pros' party after
teh Opening Ceremonies, I just felt too out of place & miserable to
bother.

Saturday. Got up in plenty of time to get to everything, but sat
around at home, drinking coffee & reading _The Oracle Glass_--my own
paperback copy that I got from amazon.com. Showed up for the last
part of a workshop given by artist Ms. Ledet "Sculpting with Clay: A
Chocoholic Dragon". It was very interesting, and her dragons are
pretty cute. But given the processes she described in making a single
dragon--2 hours of sculpting, painting & glazing 3 times, painting a
second area & glazing 3 times, etc. Very work & energy intensive. Not
enough return on the investment. Complicated & costly, hard to make
money at it unless you get a name for yourself, I guess.

Noon: JPL Mars missions. Disappointing--not pictures but computer
generated images of the launch, trajectory, and parts of the space
craft "odyssey" launched in April & arrived at Mars in Oct. Only 1
picture of Mars surface. I left that discussion a bit early.

Went to the Art room, looked at the pieces & found a few that would
be good Xmas. The FAQ sheet said to get a bidder# at the main desk. I
assumed 'main' meant 'registration' and went there. the 3 ladies
there gave me some different stories:

1) there is no art auction
2) you don't need a bidder #
3) you get the bidder # at the art room

Harpies.

Went to the Psychic Fair across the street at the Embassy Suites.
Didn't stay too long.

Lunch at Wendy's.

2:30: Bradley Denton reads from his new novel _Laughing Boy_. Very
entertaining reader, not sure if I'd buy the book, but definitely
will read it if I can find it at the Library. I liked _Lunatics_
okay, and his book of short stories _One Day Closer to Death_ was
sometimes dreadful & sometimes wonderful.

Went to the Art Room and got a biddder#. Bid on a few pieces for
Eric, Andrea & Greg. Eric's is a 3-D piece called "dragon fly". It's
by an artist named "Sherlock" and it's made of a dead gecko painted
gold with little wings, mounted sort of like a specimen. Very cool. A
little ghastly. Then I bid on a drawing called "Sister Huntresses"
for Andrea--a demon/batwing girl riding a centaur girl. Both with
spears, looking rather ferocious. For Greg, I bid on a picture
called "Sitting for a Spell" of a wizard under a tree with an orange
kitten in his lap, reading a book. Greg & Mushi! :)

Saturday, 4pm, "Aliens in Stetsons - Texas Sci Fi" discussion w/
authors Spencer, Barrett, Denton, Moorcock, and Cupp. Very
entertaining, very interesting. Neil Barrett Jr. is a very brilliant
man, has a strange bit of facial/verbal tics (tourettes?) But very
funny, very dry little remarks that were hilarious. revolutionsf.com
was recommended as a place to read good short stories & kind of
cutting-edge stuff.

Ran around a bit. hobby lobby & hancock fabrics. Looking for doll-
face molds for fimo/sculpey, want to make a Harlequin-face pendant
with the Iolite heart as one eye, that would be cool.

Came back in time to outbid a competitor for the 'dragon fly' and got
3 xmas presents for $25. Not bad. Of course, I really didn't want to
participate in Xmas at all....but it is like an obligation. Rather
sucks.

After that, went home, Tom & I went to dinner at China Star. Thought
about going back to the con, but decided to go to bed instead

180 Weekend-Sunday

 

 

 

 

•  

  up at 6:30, went grocery shopping w/ X. Couldn't get back to
  sleep, so stayed up.
  
  11 a.m., back to the con. Ran into Charlie Scott. He has very short
  hair now. We chatted a bit. I went to the "Hard Urban Fantasy" forum,
  (Allston, Freisner, Lindskold, Mckiernan, Williams) which was okay,
  but not great. I am not really even sure that there is a definiton
  of 'hard urban fantasy' and what would separate that from something
  like _Neuromancer_ where technology had advanced far enough to become
  self-aware and take on the personas of voudou gods. So...I dunno. It
  wasn't productive for me, but I hadn't read the main book that was
  being held up as 'hard urban fantasy' Walter Jon Williams latest
  whatever. He's sort of obnoxious.
  
  Then had an hour to kill, so went to Joann Fabrics, still in search
  of doll face molds. Lunch at Jack in the Box. ew.
  
  1pm- Mythology & speculative fiction forum, (Keyes, Kroupa, Friesner,
  Lindskold, Richerson), which was okay, but brought back my memory of
  being in 6th grade and accused of plagiarism for making up a myth
  that was 'too good' or whatever. My teacher sat there and told me
  that she was SURE it was taken from somewhere else, even though she
  could not pinpoint the 'original' myth I'd stolen. I guess that's
  when it was decided I'd never be a real writer. I lack the ego
  strength to defend myself against things like that. And learned an
  essential lesson in life (that has been pounded in again and
  again) "Be good, but not TOO good". So, that's me, just on the other
  side of mediocrity. Charlie was in that forum, too. We chatted a bit,
  but I don't really know what to talk about with him anymore, and I
  feel a bit boorish for not asking about his wife Mary...not that I
  give a shit about her, so it would be hypocritical of me to pretend I
  care. But that's social nicety, it should be observed.
  
  Anyhoo...took a nap from 2-5 pm, then got up and went to dinner at
  Mars restaurant with Austin No Kidding. Nice bunch of people, very
  little harping on the breeders, just nice normal conversation. Met a
  girl who looks like 'willow' from 'buffy the vampire slayer' who
  works at Hoovers' who has never been to a hoov party. Met a guy who
  works at AMD. Janet, the 'leader' of the group, is writing a novel
  while she and her hubby, Eric look for work. They were both tech
  people, laid off. Hubby is writing some software and shopping it
  around to see if he can make some $ off it.
  
  It was a nice evening. I was a little bored by this gal, Rachel, who
  sat near my end. She was sort of sloppy & unattractive, but kept
  saying how she liked to go to all the new hot spots, check out new
  restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. She really didn't look like a trendy
  person. But whatever. Her boyfriend Tony was a little quiet, but very
  nice.
  
  Several vegetarians/vegans in the bunch. Bleh. But I guess that goes
  hand in hand with the ideal of being childfree in order to decrease
  the human burden on the earth, so it makes sense. Me, on the other
  hand, I figure I'm doing my part just by not adding to the human
  population, so I can eat meat if I want to.
  
  That was my weekend. Doing so many different things made it seem very
  long. I didn't get any housework or thanksgiving prep done, other
  than shopping w/ X.
  
  My dad's last email said he'd be down either Tuesday nite or
  wednesday. I have class tonite, so I guess I can clean before &
  after. Lots to do. No time. What else is new?

181 Questionnaire - taken from someone's diaryland diary

 

•  

  1. What facial feature do you find the most attractive on others?:
  
  Smile/good teeth
  
  
  2. Would you vote for a woman candidate for president?:
  
  Absolutely. Even if she was a republican
  
  
  3. Would you marry for money?:
  
  Sure, that's what marriage is all about.
  
  
  4. Have you had braces?:
  
  Yes
  
  
  5. Do you pluck your eyebrows?:
  
  Yes
  
  
  6. Do you like hairy backs?:
  
  Only on certain people.
  
  
  7. When was the last time you had a hickey?:
  
  Summer 1995
  
  
  8. Could you live without a computer?:
  
  It would not be a happy life, but yes I could.
  
  
  9. Do you use ICQ, AOL Buddy list etc...?:
  
  I have ICQ but it crashes my machine and nobody's ever on it anyway.
  
  
  10. If so, how many people are on your list(s)?:
  
  10-15
  
  
  11. If you could live in any past time period, which would it be?:
  
  ??I'd be dead by now. I dunno. Maybe the 1600's
  
  
  12. Do you drink enough water?:
  
  no.
  
  
  13. Do you wear shoes in the house or take them off?:
  
  wear shoes in the house.
  
  
  14. What is your favorite fruit?:
  
  Pineapple
  
  
  15. Do you eat wheat bread or white?:
  
  Depends on my mood. Either, really.
  
  
  16. What is your favorite place to visit?:
  
  New Orleans
  
  
  17. What is the last movie you saw?:
  
  Robin Hood, the Errol Flynn version
  
  
  18. Do you kiss on the first date?:
  
  sure
  
  
  19. Are you photogenic?:
  
  nope.
  
  
  20. Do you dream in color or black and white?:
  
  Color, I think.
  
  21. Are you wearing fingernail polish?:
  
  no.
  
  
  22. Is it chipped or fresh?:
  
  n/a
  
  
  23. Do you have any dimples?:
  
  yes
  
  
  24. Do you remember being born?:
  
  no.
  
  
  25. Why do you take surveys?:
  
  Future amusement.
  
  
  26. Do you drink alcohol?:
  
  Yes
  
  
  27. Did you like highschool?:
  
  The further I get from my high school days, the more rosy-colored my
  HS days become. There were good times. I'm not sure if they were ALL
  good times, but the bad times fade and the good times seem brighter
  and brighter as I get older.
  
  28. What is the most beautiful language?:
  
  French
  
  
  29. When you are asleep do you like being kissed awake?:
  
  I don't like being waked.
  
  
  30. Do you like sunrises or sunsets the most?:
  
  Sunrises
  
  
  31. Do you want to live to be 100?:
  
  NONONO! Unless they figure out how to avoid all the wrinkles etc.
  
  
  32. Do you think women should be expected to shave their body hair?:
  
  it's up to the woman, but I am allowed to gag if I see some big nasty
  smelly woman with pit hair you could braid.
  
  
  33. Do you like salty food or sugary food the most?:
  
  Sugary.
  
  
  34. Is a flat stomach important to you?:
  
  yes.
  
  
  35. Do you or have you played with a ouija board?:
  
  Once.
  
  
  36. Are you loyal?:
  
  absolutely.
  
  
  37. Are you tolerant of other peoples beliefs?:
  
  Sure as long as they aren't pressuring me to join them.
  
  
  38. When you watch movies at home, do you like the lights on or off?:
  
  Off
  
  
  39. Do you believe in magic?:
  
  "Magic is the art and science of causing change in accordance with
  the will"- Aleister Crowley. I don't believe in hocus pocus harry
  potter shit, but I do believe that living and thinking in accordance
  with the will can achieve results that are magical.
  
  
  40. Do you have nightmares frequently?:
  
  No
  
  
  41. Do you like your nose?:
  
  yup. It's cute.
  
  
  42. Do you like abstract art?:
  
  NO.
  
  
  43. Do you think you can draw well?:
  
  no
  
  
  44. Do you listen to music daily?:
  
  Absolutely. It keeps me sane.
  
  
  45. Do you like to watch cartoons?:
  
  Some cartoons, sometimes.
  
  
  46. At what age did you find out that Santa Claus wasn't real?:
  
  ? Don't remember.
  
  
  47. How many pairs of shoes do have in your closet?:
  
  maybe 20
  
  
  48. Do you like to wear the same shoes everyday or do you like a
  variety?:
  
  I wear the same shoes every day. Why??
  
  
  49. Do you write poetry?:
  
  not anymore. I outgrew it.
  
  
  50.Do you snore? If you do, how did you find out?:
  
  Sometimes, when I'm having allergies. I wake myself up.
  
  
  51. Do you sleep more on your back, front, or sides?:
  
  I can't go to sleep unless I am on my back, then I turn over and
  sleep on my sides when I'm asleep.
  
  
  52. Would you rather have a poodle or a rottweiler?:
  
  Rottweiler
  
  
  53. Do you lick stamps? Envelopes?:
  
  Not laciviously, but yes.
  
  
  54. Do you use an electric can opener?:
  
  No
  
  
  55. Have you ridden in a hotair balloon?:
  
  Yes, and it was great. Except for the smell...
  
  
  56. Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain?:
  
  Emotional
  
  
  57. Do you think balding men should shave their heads?:
  
  Depends on the guy.
  
  
  58. Do you know anyone who is clinically depressed?:
  
  Almost everyone I know!
  
  
  59. Do you prefer a piano or a violin?:
  
  Piano. Violins annoy me.
  
  
  60. Are you a sex addict?:
  
  Nah
  
  
  61. Do you know someone who has cancer?:
  
  Not anymore :(
  
  
  62. Do you like to argue?:
  
  If it is topical and not ad hominem, yes.
  
  
  63. Do you hunt?:
  
  No
  
  
  64. Do you like fast food joints, or expensive restaurants?:
  
  Prefer expensive, will do fast food if there's no time or $ for
  somethng better.
  
  
  65. Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museam?:
  
  museum.
  
  
  66. Do you have a middle name? What is it?:
  
  Lynn
  
  67. Are you basically a happy person?:
  
  Nope.
  
  
  68. Are you tired?:
  
  Always.
  
  
  69. Did you drink anything with caffeine in it today?:
  
  3 cups of coffee this a.m.
  
  
  70. Have you ever met anyone off the internet?:
  
  Indeed.
  
  
  71. How many phones do you have in your house?:
  
  5, I think. Maybe 4.
  
  
  72. How long is your hair?:
  
  Short, but stupid.
  
  
  73. Do you get along with your parents?:
  
  yeah.
  
  
  74. What color of eyes do you prefer?:
  
  depends on skin tone, hair color, etc. Generally light colored eyes
  are more striking & interesting to me.