GenCon, Day 1
Aug. 14th, 2009 09:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
filkertomAn excellent, if exhausting, beginning. No problem getting my badge 'n' stuff, and I reacquainted myself after too many years with Michael Stackpole. Happy happy.
My table is smack between those ofmarcgunn (marcgunn.com) (and his lovely assistant Gwen) and Willie's Wenches, a delightful Shakespearean cheerleading squad and generally silly bunch of gorgeous women in corsets (and one very lucky guy). I am considering gift-wrapping Clarissa for myself. lukeski (thegreatlukeski.com) is at the table just past Marc. It wasn't a terribly busy day, as far as GenCon goes, but it was Thursday. I expect it to be looniest tomorrow.
A number of people came by the table. Several offered help, andisolde_deely and _kat_ in fact did help, and thanks so much, ladies. I got to glance at the program book; good photo, good bio (they better have been, I sent 'em). But my two events, 10:00 p.m. Thursday and Saturday at the Marriott, were not listed. Joy.
Eleven a.m., I started busking.
Nobody cared. That is one loud exhibit hall. I think four people listened to me, total.
On the other hand, I found that Dragon Dice are still being produced, with many new expansions and rules. And I saw that the biggest HeroClix dealer had the HorrorClix Great Cthulhu for THIRTY DOLLARS. As opposed to, say, fifty or a hundred or more. And I went to the Steve Jackson Games booth and finally met Paul Chapman, and we were each delighted to put a name to a face.
The afternoon continued well. I had the guitar out, and played "Tech Support For Dad" and "Hamster Brain" a few times. Decent sales for Day 1, nothing spectacular. Everyone likes the new business card (I did in fact put a checklist of my albums, present and future, on it -- I'll show you next week). Gwen got us Subway, anddhstein (naiadstudios.com) came by. I didn't know where in the Marriott my event was, but someone told me that it was online if not in the program book, and it looked to be sold out, which if that was the case would be astounding.
And then it happened.
I was talking with someone, and I heard someone else say my name. And I looked up and I didn't recognize her for a moment. And then I did.
Julie.
Not many of you know this, because I don't make a big deal about it, but the second love of my life, and the only woman I have ever lived with, was a beautiful art student from the University of Michigan. She came into the gaming store I worked at, and she'd been gaming about a month, and she'd been very disappointed with the games she'd been in so far, and was about to drop out of it completely, and I said, Hey, I run a pretty good game, how about I run one for you and your other not-happy friends?
And it was one of the better games in my life. And Julie and I fell in love. And, even though we eventually broke up and it was my fault, it's a thing of quiet pride for me that I kept her in gaming, because her full name is Julie Guthrie and you might have heard of her.
And I hadn't seen her since at least Dragon*Con 1994 and possibly not since WorldCon 1992 and there she was, smiling bemusedly at me.
"Oh my god," I breathed, and I got up and we hugged for awhile. Great hugger, still.
She was there with her husband Bob, who has to be a great guy because she wouldn't stand for less (and thinking that made me instantly feel better about myself, because she'd sought me out), and much small talk was exchanged in a very few minutes, and she looks great, and they're both working for Hasbro, and I will try to see her again this weekend and oh it was so great.
And the afternoon proceeded. And eventually I went busking again. Got that thirty-dollar Cthulhu. Big mutha. Said Hi to Aaron Williams. Hung out and performed at Diana's table (hbruton was there as well, yay). As the exhibit hall was closing, I passed by the Flying Buffalo table, and met Rick Loomis, who I thanked for many fine T&T games. I also found out, to my delight, that Lost Worlds was still being produced (Julie and I helped playtest the Skeleton, way back when).
Got back, packed up, sang out in the hall for some nice people, and then Howard Tayler comes by. He had lost his voice some, but we talked for a little bit, and he asked me if I considered him a good enough friend to trade cell phone numbers. Oh hell yeah.
Eventually it got to be seven o'clock, and I went back to the hotel room and chilled for a couple hours. Then I schlepped over to the Marriott. The room was supposed to be Indiana Ballroom C, but they put me in the larger Ballroom E.
Eleven people showed up.
None had bought a ticket ($2.00). Which had me goin', "YEAH! Screw The Man, man!" And I ended up writing "Two Dollar Song" right there, and I sang a few things, and two of the people left (although they'd said they liked everything, they just had other stuff to do), and the ten of us (including Luke and Isolde) got in a lot closer and we sang our asses off and I'd forgotten the Zoom and I wish to hell I had it because it was one of the most fun sets I've ever done. Fuckin' magic. We all laughed so hard, and everybody was singing along with almost everything, and I still got a few of 'em with jokes they hadn't heard, and I bellowed out "Rocket Ride" at the end, and I didn't get to sleep till one-ish and I'm exhausted but it was worth every damn second.
And I'm supposed to be busking in about an hour, so this is To Be Continued.
How's your day going?
My table is smack between those of
marcgunn (marcgunn.com) (and his lovely assistant Gwen) and Willie's Wenches, a delightful Shakespearean cheerleading squad and generally silly bunch of gorgeous women in corsets (and one very lucky guy). I am considering gift-wrapping Clarissa for myself. lukeski (thegreatlukeski.com) is at the table just past Marc. It wasn't a terribly busy day, as far as GenCon goes, but it was Thursday. I expect it to be looniest tomorrow.A number of people came by the table. Several offered help, and
isolde_deely and _kat_ in fact did help, and thanks so much, ladies. I got to glance at the program book; good photo, good bio (they better have been, I sent 'em). But my two events, 10:00 p.m. Thursday and Saturday at the Marriott, were not listed. Joy.Eleven a.m., I started busking.
Nobody cared. That is one loud exhibit hall. I think four people listened to me, total.
On the other hand, I found that Dragon Dice are still being produced, with many new expansions and rules. And I saw that the biggest HeroClix dealer had the HorrorClix Great Cthulhu for THIRTY DOLLARS. As opposed to, say, fifty or a hundred or more. And I went to the Steve Jackson Games booth and finally met Paul Chapman, and we were each delighted to put a name to a face.
The afternoon continued well. I had the guitar out, and played "Tech Support For Dad" and "Hamster Brain" a few times. Decent sales for Day 1, nothing spectacular. Everyone likes the new business card (I did in fact put a checklist of my albums, present and future, on it -- I'll show you next week). Gwen got us Subway, and
dhstein (naiadstudios.com) came by. I didn't know where in the Marriott my event was, but someone told me that it was online if not in the program book, and it looked to be sold out, which if that was the case would be astounding.And then it happened.
I was talking with someone, and I heard someone else say my name. And I looked up and I didn't recognize her for a moment. And then I did.
Julie.
Not many of you know this, because I don't make a big deal about it, but the second love of my life, and the only woman I have ever lived with, was a beautiful art student from the University of Michigan. She came into the gaming store I worked at, and she'd been gaming about a month, and she'd been very disappointed with the games she'd been in so far, and was about to drop out of it completely, and I said, Hey, I run a pretty good game, how about I run one for you and your other not-happy friends?
And it was one of the better games in my life. And Julie and I fell in love. And, even though we eventually broke up and it was my fault, it's a thing of quiet pride for me that I kept her in gaming, because her full name is Julie Guthrie and you might have heard of her.
And I hadn't seen her since at least Dragon*Con 1994 and possibly not since WorldCon 1992 and there she was, smiling bemusedly at me.
"Oh my god," I breathed, and I got up and we hugged for awhile. Great hugger, still.
She was there with her husband Bob, who has to be a great guy because she wouldn't stand for less (and thinking that made me instantly feel better about myself, because she'd sought me out), and much small talk was exchanged in a very few minutes, and she looks great, and they're both working for Hasbro, and I will try to see her again this weekend and oh it was so great.
And the afternoon proceeded. And eventually I went busking again. Got that thirty-dollar Cthulhu. Big mutha. Said Hi to Aaron Williams. Hung out and performed at Diana's table (
hbruton was there as well, yay). As the exhibit hall was closing, I passed by the Flying Buffalo table, and met Rick Loomis, who I thanked for many fine T&T games. I also found out, to my delight, that Lost Worlds was still being produced (Julie and I helped playtest the Skeleton, way back when).Got back, packed up, sang out in the hall for some nice people, and then Howard Tayler comes by. He had lost his voice some, but we talked for a little bit, and he asked me if I considered him a good enough friend to trade cell phone numbers. Oh hell yeah.
Eventually it got to be seven o'clock, and I went back to the hotel room and chilled for a couple hours. Then I schlepped over to the Marriott. The room was supposed to be Indiana Ballroom C, but they put me in the larger Ballroom E.
Eleven people showed up.
None had bought a ticket ($2.00). Which had me goin', "YEAH! Screw The Man, man!" And I ended up writing "Two Dollar Song" right there, and I sang a few things, and two of the people left (although they'd said they liked everything, they just had other stuff to do), and the ten of us (including Luke and Isolde) got in a lot closer and we sang our asses off and I'd forgotten the Zoom and I wish to hell I had it because it was one of the most fun sets I've ever done. Fuckin' magic. We all laughed so hard, and everybody was singing along with almost everything, and I still got a few of 'em with jokes they hadn't heard, and I bellowed out "Rocket Ride" at the end, and I didn't get to sleep till one-ish and I'm exhausted but it was worth every damn second.
And I'm supposed to be busking in about an hour, so this is To Be Continued.
How's your day going?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 01:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 01:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 01:41 pm (UTC)Little kids have blankies, but I reach for my MP3s when I'm dealing with being overly upset, sad or angry. My thanks goes out to all the musicians who make the world a better place through good music.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 01:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 02:08 pm (UTC)Say hi to Diana and Heather for me when you see them, 'k?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 02:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 02:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 02:20 pm (UTC)My day's going OK, but last night...oh man. Best RPG session I've ever run.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 02:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 02:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 02:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 02:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 02:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 03:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 03:58 pm (UTC)Splenda & cinnamon on heavily buttered toast=FTW
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 04:22 pm (UTC)And then later tonight, I'll be doing my show on Dementia Radio. And tomorrow I'll work a full shift.
And then if I can find you on Sunday in Indy, I shall hugs ye. And if not, I'll get to spend time with mah sistah for the first time in a few years. And tell that long-haired freak with the autoharp he's got a hug with his name on it too if he'll still be around on Sunday. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 04:33 pm (UTC)YIS,
WRI
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 05:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 05:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 05:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 09:03 pm (UTC)And tonight, I will have tuna steak firmly rubbed with mustard, cracked pepper, and salt and then lightly seared. (There was this unbelievable sale on fresh yellowfin...)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 09:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 09:40 pm (UTC)YIS,
WRI
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 09:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 09:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-14 09:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-15 12:42 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-15 02:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-15 03:52 am (UTC)YIS,
WRI
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-17 04:33 pm (UTC)