Have You HEARD?

WWHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

That is all.

Finally, some TIME!

So NOW I can be a wee bit more detailed on the specifics of the goodness of Keycon. And the badness of driving three thousand km in one weekend, essentially solo. Yay!

Friday

Well, technically Thursday night, but calling it Friday is close enough. We took off shortly before midnight Thursday night, and reached the city limits about quarter after. Nothing particularly eventful about the drive, really, except that a) I got to watch the moonrise just as we crossed the Saskatchewan border, which was pretty neat due to the air particulate from burning off old crops, and b) there are a surprising number of cyclists on the Trans-Canada Highway. But, we essentially arrived in Winnipeg without incident, and headed to the Con, at which point I had been without sleep for approximately 32 hours. Guh.

But, upon arriving there, I looked in my program and lo and behold, free ice cream! Now, being a Con virgin, I didn't know what else the 'Ice Cream Social' entailed; all I really knew (all I needed to know, really) was that there was, in fact, free ice cream involved. Remember: sleep deprivation. So my sister and I headed over towards the free ice cream. Whereupon I promptly lost all ability to speak coherently along with what few higher brain functions I had remaining to me after quite so many consecutive wakeful hours - Jaqueline Carey was serving the ice cream! She, of course, was the majority of the reason I'd just driven over 1400 km on no sleep. So, needless to say, I found myself a bit... overwhelmed. Particularly when she came and sat down with us and hung out and chatted. I'm afraid that I probably didn't make an especially good impression, but fortunately, she seemed to have forgiven me for it as the weekend wore on.

As for the rest of Friday, really not much else of note occurred; Jacqueline had a panel that nighht on Sex in Fantasy, which was rather fun, but unfortunately running against the screening of Serenity, which ticked me off a little bit. Actually, BOTH of the Serenity/Firefly related events were running against Jacqueline's panels. So I was less than impressed with the scheduling, although having said that I realize that this problem is largely a function of trying to have enough variety in the events to keep people interested. It's just not possible that EVERYONE will be happy with one's program scheduling. So, on that score, Keycon is entirely forgiven.

Saturday

After ten hours of sleep to recharge the batteries, we headed back to the Con for more geeky goodness. I got to partake of a little bit of the Firefly Big Damn Trivia game - not as a contestent, but as the resident 'Vanna' for the first half of the game, as the event was two hours long and, as mentioned earlier, running against another of Jacqueline's panels. But the game (what I saw of it) was fun, and I got a Fruity-Oaty bar out of the deal.

Then it was off to Jacqueline's panel on the trials and tribulations of becoming a full-time, professional, self-sustaining writer. It was actually pretty funny, because her original talk had been on the fact that it IS work, and it takes a very, VERY long time, and many rejection letters, and so on and so forth. Essentially, her journey towards becoming a writer was much like that of, oh, about 99.7% of authors out there. But the interesting thing is, she wasn't the only author on the panel.

Now, of course a panel like this one attracts every aspiring author who was at the convention, and there were quite a few. The surprise was that one of the people attending was Scott Lynch, an up-and-coming fantasy author. So up-and-coming, in fact, that his first book won't hit the shelves for a few more weeks yet. The interesting thing about him is that he got published in a very unconventional way. He had posted the prologue on his blog (and my apologies, I've lost the URL for it) and an editor for a publishing house got in touch with him a few weeks later to inquire about buying the book. Of course, he hadn't actually written it yet, but small things like that do little to deter someone whose dream has just been dropped in his lap. The short version is, within two years he had completely drafted the first 3 books and was on board with the publisher for a seven-book deal. So his story made an interesting counterpoint to Jacqueline's tale.

As for the rest of Saturday, there was also the Masquerade (in which my sister competed, though sadly did not place) and a party; several parties, in fact, most of which I stopped in at for at least a short time. But we all have to sleep eventually, and there was an early event the next day that I had no intentions of missing: the book signing.

Sunday

Actually, the funniest thing about the booksigning was that Jacqueline actually didn't know which room it was in, so it was a good thing (on several counts) that we ran into her on the way. I, of course, had brought my entire hardcover collection (all first edition, but sadly lacking a copy of Kushiel's Dart, on account of the impossibility of actually FINDING a copy of said anywhere in Edmonton) which are now all signed. The other reason that it was good to run into her was that we were able to get pictures before the madness of the booksigning ensued, which was nice. And when I say madness, I mean MADNESS - to date, Keycon was the only Canadian event on Jacqueline's calendar in the foreseeable future, so a great many people who couldn't make it sent their books with friends in order to get signed. There was one young man in front of me in the line who had brought 15 volumes to be signed. Craziness!

The rest of Sunday was spent drifting between wrap-up parties in the hospitality suites, and then, I went the art auction. Ooops. Bad idea.

Ok, in my defense, my original intentions behind going to the art auction were to make sure that the couple of pieces I'd bid on in the silent auction went home with me. And I'd made some good bids; a print for my stepsister, as a thank-you for housesitting on the first weekend we had the house to ourselves, one for my parents as a souvenir, and (I confess) one for me. The two that I'd bid on as gifts went without incident; nobody outbid me on them, so I got them for a song. But the one that I'd bid on for myself, I got outbid on by a very determined man on the other side of the auction hall. No problem, I thought; the same artist had several more prints in the auction, I'll just pick up one of those. But on every piece, that same guy outbid me. Finally, the last Williams print came up, and I started off the bidding; he outbid me, I one-upped him, and before I knew it, I'd more than doubled my spending budget from the entire weekend. Oooops. But, I came out of it with a really cool print, and I KNOW I keep promising pictures and not delivering, but it's one of the many, many downfalls of life without a digital camera. Ah well.

Anyways, we wrapped up Sunday night at the Dead Dog, the after-Con party at which all of the leftover food and booze is disposed of by obliging attendees. Unfortunately, because I was driving back to Edmonton the following morning, I had to make it an early night - I think that next year, I'll pay the extra hundred bucks and fly out, and also get a hotel room; it'll be WAY more fun that way, and I can get much more into the whole Con spirit.

Monday

Well, the drive home wasn't much to speak of; it was nearly thirty-eight degrees the entire way across Saskatchewan, and I thought I was going to die from the heat. But, in the end, we made it home alright, and promptly began making plans for attending next year's Con. So, if anybody wants to split on a hotel room, and take a trip to Winnipeg next May, just let me know! I'll be there for sure.

In other news, the Edmonton Oilers are currently 3-1 on the series; it's been a pretty wild ride so far. Let's see how they do tonight!

Goin' to Winnipeg...

I'm off on an adventure with my little sis, heading to Winnipeg for a whole long weekend of nerding it up at Keycon. We've both been hugely excited about it for weeks and weeks, and really for only one reason; one of our favourite authors (and one of exactly two things we have in common) is going to be there. So I'm off for four whole days of sibling rivalr.. uh, bonding. Right.

At any rate, hope everyone out there in Bloggaria has a great long weekend, and a word to the wise: stay off of Whyte this Friday. The Oilers are going to seriously roast some Duck.

See ya'll Monday!

Edit: Just a quick note to say that A) the con was pretty neat, if not quite precisely what I was expecting, and B) The Oil are 2-0 on the series, coming home for Game #3!! And I missed both games! But, the weekend was sweet, and Jaqueline Carey hugged me. TWICE! So worth it.....

Just a Quick Note to Say...

The Edmonton Oilers have progressed to the Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!!

No, seriously, that's really all I have to say. I'm very excited, although it still feels surreal to me, largely as a result of having been unable to watch the actual game. See, the problem is, the NHL failed to communicate with the University when developing this year's playoff schedule, and as such I missed a pretty hefty chunk of the Oilers-Sharks series. Including tonight's deciding game.

Maybe I should lodge a formal complaint with the league. After all, it's not as though they're doing anything like, say, scheduling for maximum viewership for out East. They wouldn't do something like that.

Anyways, next up: the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Friday. Puck drops at 7. Keep it up, boys!

Shiftacular!

I've been neglecting this woefully in the last few days, largely because it is the beginning of another new term (no, I really don't take any time off from school, ever) and I'm just settling in to my new schedule. So, a quick look at what's been going on for me lately:

School

As mentioned, it is the beginning of a new term for me. I'm only taking one class this spring, but it is one I've been wanting to take for three years, ever since I first heard of its existance. The course is Oral Traditions in Children's Literature, and for anybody who thinks that a Children's Lit course would be insultingly easy, I challenge you to write a five-page critical analysis essay comparing the original Three Little Pigs to a contemporary adaption of same. It's not that easy, believe you me. But, regardless, I've been looking forward to this class for a very long time, and after one week I can quite confidently say it seems to be living up to my admittedly high expectations.

Hockey

Last night, the Edmonton Oilers came back twice from a two-goal deficit to win against the Sharks and tie the series, which two scant games ago was 2-0 in favour of San Jose. I'll refrain from waxing loquacious for the nonce, but suffice it to say that Whyte Avenue was rather a bit lively last night (which was in fact Friday night, despite when this post will actually go up).

Work

Well, usually there's not much interesting going on here. But, as evidenced by the fact that I started this entry at six yesterday evening, and am only now able to finish it, things have been afoot at the Bowl. Last night (Saturday night) the we here at the Bowl hosted our first-ever LAN party. There were a few bumps and smallish problems, as is wont to happen with any first, but overall, it went quite smoothly. Not quite as remunerative as we'd hoped, at least for the restaurant side of things, but hopefully, there will be another one, and next time we'll be a little bit more prepared. However, I am currently at work (having started my regular Sunday shift a scant eight hours after bidding adieu to the gamers), and I ought to get back to it.

Lost and Found

At about one in the afternoon yesterday, I began to panic.

I could not find my phone anywhere. I checked in my bedroom (usually a repository of all things mine - one of the many, many downsides to still living with one's parents as a result of one's financial woes) but a cursory inpection yielded only my CD player, a car charger for my phone, a similar accessory for my stepbrother's iPod, two passports, a guitar, the kitchen sink - and a startling number of dirty socks.

I will digress here to tell you my secret: I hate laundry. With an absolute passion. I hate sorting it, I hate washing it, I hate drying it, and I loathe folding it. Putting it away just doesn't happen, largely because I've been 'in the process' of moving for the past several months, and for a myriad of reasons, some of which are actually valid, all of my furniture has yet to accompany me. I abhor and detest laundry so much that I have, in fact, gone out and bought new socks and underwear rather than do a load of whites. Several times. So many times, in fact, that the socks have started to take over my room, have formed a collective, and, I was certain, were holding my phone hostage. The ransom? A gallon of bleach and some hot water.

Now, I had a difficult choice before me. Should I negotiate with these terrorists? Should I confront my own bias and actually clean?

So I did the only natural thing to do in the face of such a dilemma. I left.

I began my search at my work, where I watched the truly amazing and incredible hockey game Monday night. I knew that I'd had my phone when I'd left; I was using it to call everyone I knew and tell them that the Edmonton Oilers had just progressed to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And no, I hadn't been drinking - I had the Keys to the Kingdom, or at least the van, so there was no celebratory beer for me. I'm really just like that. So, beginning there, I retraced my steps of the evening that the Oilers defeated the President's Cup Trophy Winners, the Detroit Red Wings. Beginning at my work, where I had watched the momentous event, I then drove to my brother's house, where I had stopped in for a quick visit following the game. Alas, my trek was not to be completed so easily. I then headed over to my sister's place, as I had helped her with a few errands later that night - to no avail, save that she was able to inform me that I had, indubitably, still had my phone at the conclusion of her errands, as she had called me on it shortly after I bid her good night. At last, a break! But what had I done after that? Oh, right - there was a hockey game on. Not the most important one of the evening, to be sure, but a close second - Game 6 of the Calgary - Anaheim series had been underway, and I had been desirous of early knowledge regarding our next opponent in the quest for Hockey's Holy Grail. I had gone out to a pub to watch that game, and it is there I went again, in the hopes of recovering my phone without having to resort to putting in a load of wash. Upon my arrival, I discovered that the server there was the very same who had ensured my supply of cola-flavoured beverages all the previous night. I was thrilled - surely, surely amidst a crowd of drunken college boys she would remember the lone young woman, watching the hockey game with an intensity rivalled only by the play-by-play announcers themselves? And indeed, she did - but, to my sorrow, she had not seen my phone. Her manager, however, had seen one, and for an instant, my hopes were buoyed up - maybe I wouldn't have to do battle with the Seventh Sock Cavalry after all! But, an instant later, my hopes were dashed yet again - the phone he had found was most definitely not mine.

So I did what any normal person would do in that situation: I procrastinated.

See, the only other place I'd been that night before heading home was the bank, to deposit a paycheque - and it was already closed. In the event that some honest person had in fact found my phone, and turned it in to the desk, there was absolutely no recourse to be had at that point anyways. So I headed down to the Ninja's to watch movies with girls, resolutely shoving the whole issue to the back of my mind in order to concentrate on having a good time. Unfortunately, that particular tactic worked better in theory than in practise, and by the time the movie was over I was such a nervous wreck that I simply HAD to get home and have one last look around my room, laundry being now out of the question as my stepmother would have long since retired for the night.

So, after a small detour to ensure that some of the other movie watchers arrived home safely, I got home, and began looking through my things as quietly as possible, and with ever-increasing levels of despair. In my desparation, I even searched through other areas of the house, certain though I was that it wouldn't be there. Finally, defeated, I returned to my room and made ready to go to sleep, resolving as I did so that on the morrow, I would do at least two loads of laundry, AND get to the bank to inquire about my phone before they closed.

But then, just as I was turning down my comforter for the night, what should fall out of my duvet cover but... my phone! The socks had been thwarted in their attempt to deprive me of my primary means of communication. So I happily plugged it in to the wall charger (the battery having, naturally, run down in order to prevent me from finding it simply by calling from the land line) and went to bed, panic attack finally over, and enjoying another reprieve from the need to wash socks.

Speaking of which, I think I need to go buy some more... I'm out of clean ones.