Tired, sore, and grumpy, but home…
Cons always take a lot out of a person, and even more so for me with a crappy back and the lousy chairs in conference rooms. But the bright spot is a chance to get to see friends, make new friends, and hopefully pass along some information that helps others to write better!
So, we down a day early, Thursday to beat the rush into DFW area… Along with a few other folks… LOL Started out as a table for four…
Note- Pics from various sources, thank you!
The hotel had decent food (thankfully), and the rooms were pretty good, so that was a plus.
This was the first time I got drafted to be the Master of Ceremonies, and that got a LOT more involved than I planned… sigh…
I found out Saturday afternoon, I had to help ‘sell’ stuff at the auction that night! I’m thinking, Damn, they’re counting on ME to sell stuff? They are in TROUBLE! Thankfully, Lawdog and Ambulance Driver tag teamed with me and somehow (well, some quality items helped), we raised about $2000!!!
Sigh… And some people DO NOT get the reason for a $42 bid…
But panels… LOL
Definitely interesting, and wide ranging would be putting it mildly! And those chairs in the main room were the most comfortable of the weekend! Kudos to whomever ‘procured’ them!
The first panel was on swearing in science fiction. Yes, that is a ‘thing’ you have to sort out as an author… Some of the digressions/rabbit holes were foreign readers, ‘trusting’ Google or other translate functions (DON’T), and making up swear words (be careful, they might be an insult in another country)…
This panel was on firearms in writing. Probably close to 200 years of experience setting up there, including a serving LEO with a sense of humor! 🙂 What is realistic, what isn’t, and the impact(s) of doing it right or wrong in your writing. Our push was for writers to do their research and get with someone who actually shoots to ‘review’ your writing! Hint- Glocks don’t have a safety! Revolver barrels don’t ‘spin’, and the Third Law applies (e.g. no, the shotgun is not going to blow the bad guy back a dozen feet)!
Lots of conversations about a myriad of subjects, with various folks and a fun time, other than the chairs/back issue, and having to be ‘on’ for four days. I am peopled out!
But I never even looked at the computer, or tried to do a post! And didn’t take picture one… dammit… I always forget to do that!
Oh, and I sold ONE book the entire weekend… sigh…
Sounds like a good time was had. Sorry for poor sales, but I don’t think it is your fault. Went to local gun show both days this weekend and the amount of people there was approximately half the amounts seen in previous shows. Sunday attendance was blamed on Dallas Cowboy game, but even then, I didn’t see a lot of people carrying about purchased items. People with slung items with price tags were even pretty scarce. Eerie I guess was the feeling.
A lot of Trump supporters (if T-shirts, hats and necklace pendants were an indication) was present – zero Harris items seen. Well, there was that one person with Harris urinal targets but I don’t think that counts …
Glad to see you back.
I’m mostly a reader and this is my first comment, but that sounds like a darn interesting con! Glad you had a good time.
I had a good time and I could see you were pretty busy. About the only time you weren’t were when you were taking a smoke break (which was probably the only place I was able to run into you).
I just wonder why google maps gave me that weird course there. I didn’t realize, until I was leaving that the highway just to the north of the hotel, runs all the way to my house (it joins with 75) and all I had to do was get on it and follow it. True, it goes through the airport, but that’s not an issue on the weekend.
I learned to be wary of map programs when an early version of Mapquest told me that the best way to travel across the Cascades (a hundred mile trip) was to drive 100 miles into California and take I-5 another hundred miles to my destination.
The first clue was that though the destination was due west of me, I should start driving east.
BTW: Waiting patiently (for values) for Wolfhounds 5. 1-4 highly recommended.
The GPS program in my pickup doesn’t like to acknowledge county roads. AAA maps are somewhat better. Usually.
I’ve been known to hold up my Book of Navigation and intone, “This is a M.A.P. It is the predecessor to the G.P.S.” Some people get the joke. Others just act like puzzled Golden Retriever puppies.
I crossed the Cascades just today!
jrg- We had quite a few Cowboys fans in the hotel too!
Mandy- Thanks!
John- Good to see you, and yes, sorry we didn’t get more of a chance to chat.
RC- Oh yeah… I use Rand McNally as a ‘backup’…
Good to see that you are back in battery after a long weekend.
$42 makes perfect sense. However, can you explain the image of the cat photobombing your weapons discussion?
TXRed- Snerk…
WN- That was a running joke all weekend about HP and Jacob Holo’s cat signing books.
Forgot about Heinlein’s cat Pixel! The Cat That Walks Through Walls. Spider Robinson had a similar cat in his Callahan’s Saloon series.