So yeah, I haven’t done a con report in a while. I sometimes feel they’re boring when I read them, so I don’t want to bore anyone else.

But this con was amazing and I need to chronicle it. And since I don’t write in my journal anymore cause I’m a) lazy and b) my handwriting is so bad it’s not worth it, I need to put it here.

Arrived after a 7 hr solo drive to crash out in my room and then search for food. I hooked up with other podcasters Nathan Lowell and JC Hutchins and good friends John Cmar and Laura Burns in the bar that evening, then hit the bed.

Friday was an unfortunate blur. I was lucky enough to have lunch with Steven Gould (author of Jumper and former instructor of mine at Viable Paradise), David Moldawer and JC Hutchins. People rolled into town, including Jason, Ryn and Jim, I met up with Matt Wallace, my arch-nemesis, and went out for sushi with Tom and Andrea Gideon (she who bestoweth the purple hair), Jim, and Matt. later that night I think I moderated a panel and finally - FINALLY after several cons - got to see Sudden Death and Rob Balder perform at the awesome FuMP concert. I snagged both and begged them to perform at the live Geek Fu show on Saturday.

Ah. Saturday. Will I remember Saturday for its glory? I hope so. Got up, fretted a little, had brunch with friends at a really big table, and went out to lunch with James Patrick Kelly and Jim. Jim K. gave me some advice for my big to-do on Sunday (more on that later) and we got back in time for the live Takeover premier at 1. The room was packed. The drama slayed. That is all. After the show I pulled aside my good and dear friends Matt Wallace and JC Hutchins and took them to the bar where I bought them sodas and we talked… ideas. I will tell you no more, but Podcasting’s Rich Sigfrit was intimidated by our close counsel. I managed to get some rest then before my reading at 5 (I think… more blur here…) and then made it to my hot stuffy little room in which to read.

People filled the hot stuffy little room. Filled it, I say. They closed the door and I read from Project Underground, my novel in progress. People… seemed to like it. I’m understating due to a desire not to sound full of myself, but the hour was very very good for my ego. Jim and I hooked up with Devo Spice and Ken Newquist (many many others came to the restaurant too, but they were inside and we were outside) for dinner and suddenly I was around geeks with kids about my kid’s age, so we had a blast talking about geek parenting. Then we returned, I got changed into the black boots and my ironic Avenue Q shirt, drank a martini, and headed to Geek Fu Morning Show LIVE After Dark. We’re working on making the title as long as possible, and Devo Spice is helping us with that. (check out this week’s Manic Mondays podcast for more information.)

In the show we had discussions on pie, an awesome Matt Wallace removing a belligerent Tee Morris from the room, live music from the funny musicians who graced us with their presence and therefore raised the bar so the show will suck from now on, and Matt did more Silver Bullet Facts. All in all it was awesome.

Although that should have been enough to make the day great, I had to run from there directly to moderate a panel with Chris Lester and JC Hutchins, which i *think* I pulled off after my intense day (and one martini an hour before), then it was all over but the crying. Or the hanging out and drinking.

Sunday I was shellshocked, but I sat in on the writing panel moderated by Jim Kelly, which was fun. Afterward he, JC Hutchins and I made our way to a secluded courtyard where we sat in the sun and talked podcasting and writing, and were joined soon by Christiana Ellis. The group then went to the Singularity event with Stranger Things where we got a sneak peek at the newest episode written by Matt Wallace, and you didn’t. Nyah. During his author interview, Matt graciously shared his spotlight with me, saying that as last year was the year Hutchins and Scott Sigler broke out, this would be the year of M&M, where we got ours. It’s only right. We share a birthday after all. I got some desperately needed food and a nap, then made it to the shining glory of a panel:

I got to run the Connie Willis GOH interview.

Yeah. You heard me #dotbitch.

I’ve been a rabid fan of hers for years and when this opportunity came to me, I hesitated for about a second until Jim reminded me, “When someone asks you if you’re a god, you say YES.” it was horrible timing as nearly all my friends were attending (or performing) on other panels, but JC Hutchins came with me to help film the event and give moral support, and Jim and Will YoungestOfOne Hoffacker (also known as The Red Wheel for a reason I’m still trying to come up with) joined at the end after their panel was over. We did get audio and video for the interview, so I’ll be posting that. I later heard that Connie had a lot of fun and I put her at ease, which was like saying God had approved of how I built a church. Or something.

Sunday night we closed the bar, with some unexpected conversations. Tee groveled at my feet, I had a sweet heart-to-heart with JR Blackwell, and then hit the bed late (as usual).

It was amazing. I’m exhausted and suffering post-con letdown, but it was worth every lost hour of sleep and every brain cell killed by the lovely gin behind the counter. I got to know several people better this time around, and Balticon continues to be a fabulous experience despite the fact that it keeps me from exploring WisCon, which I’ve been dying to do for years. Maybe someday they’ll be on different weekends…

Thanks to everyone, and if I didn’t mention you, know that my memory is fuzzy and I’m still very tired. Which is also why I’m not linking anyone right now, cause it’s late and I’m dead here. Google is your friend.