No GAFilk This Year

[filkertom]

I went out to gas up the car this morning, and -- thanks to the light layer of freezing drizzle -- it was already a bit of a hockey rink.

Weather forecasts say there will be unseasonable cold, snow that won't melt off the roads, and ice all the way down to frickin' Miami.

I can drive for two days, pay for hotels, and be a nervous wreck... or I can stay home and have exactly the same weather.

So, please forgive me, those of you who were hoping to see me at GAFilk. I'd love to be there, I'd planned to be there... but I'm a nervous nelly driving in this kinda stuff. Hugs to all, I hope you have a blast, and I'll see you at other cons.

Who is going to GAFilk this year?

Comments

I'll be there,

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

though it wasn't a sure thing until Tuesday. I'll let Rob know tonight when I get to the airport.

Your safety is of more importance than having you down here. Would you like a message passed on at the New Year's Party tomorrow night?

Re: I'll be there,

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Sure, basically what I said above. We'll do this another time, and another, and another, and....

[peachtales.livejournal.com]

Stay home, good idea. I woke up feeling lousy this morning, and stayed home, but I am forcing myself outside to go get the car gassed up, while the snow isn't bad yet, and the hill by my house not yet beset by fools.
They've given the storm a "catchy" name locally - Winter Blast. Feh.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Oooh, feel better, hon. That's the other thing: While I'm not feeling very sick, I've been dealing with some congestion for the past few days. I really don't want to give anybody anything, and I don't want to take the chance of having to travel for hours when I don't feel good.

[hms42]

:( Ok. I'll miss you in in Ga, but I will see you @ Conflikt. :)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

ConFlikt it is, when I leave the driving to AmTrak. :)

[bosswriter.livejournal.com]

Wise move - as they say discretion is the better part of valor.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm thinking. It would've been lovely, but it's just not worth the hassle and risk.

[snobahr.livejournal.com]

This. Better a safe 'n (mentally) settled Smith than a skitchy Smith.

[bryanp.livejournal.com]

GAFilk is my cursed con. OVFF was my cursed con for years. Every time I'd plan to go, something would happen. Then Bill and Brenda started a nice filk con all of 4 hours drive away. Suddenly I can make OVFF every year and when I try to go to GAFilk something always happens. The only time I've made it I was essentially kidnapped.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Heh. I missed one OVFF, overworked by my old job, and for years afterward people would plaintively ask, "Are you coming to OVFF this year...?"

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

I get the impression that a lot of folks have to give this con a miss, even locals who are plagued with the flu. May quality answer for quantity of attendees for those who go.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

'Tis a shame. We'll have to get a summer filk con going, or maybe all congregate at LibertyCon in Chattanooga....

[maiac.livejournal.com]

Wise decision.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

By FSM, I may be a stupid sot most of the time, but I've scratched together at least enough of a dollop of common sense that I don't act suicidal most of the time.... ;)

[admnaismith.livejournal.com]

I'll toast and sing the John Woo Hamlet in your honor.

Stay safe, and I'll see you at ConFlikt.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Indeed, and indeed. :)

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about it. I wouldn't go out in weather like that unless it was a medical emergency. Not to mention the fact that because of the weather, you'll have to drive slower - it's now a three day run instead of two days.

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

If you are in contact with the AV staffers there, arrange for someone to have a laptop and skype so you can play for the audience without being there. Alternatively, if you are in Second Life, have the laptop showing you there while you broadcast to the parcel, and you'll be there "virtually".

If you need help with that, let me know - I can teach you how to broadcast in an hour, and I'll be happy to loan you access to our group's server for your events.

[jcbemis.livejournal.com]

that would be so cool, if he had a twofer or one shot slot...

[alverant.livejournal.com]

I'm in Chicagoland and the roads were bad this morning. It took me an extra 20 minutes to get to work this morning. It can only be worse where you live. I think you made the right decision. If I had vacation time I would have strongly considered using it today. Stay home and be safe until they clear the roads.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Not necessarily worse here -- you guys got pretty badly nailed by all the snow. But the reports all along the trip route, i.e., I-75, basically call for the same crap we have here. And I don't like driving in bad weather to begin with. I certainly don't need a thousand miles of it.

[poltr1]

I think you made the right decision by taking care of yourself.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I do too.

[banjoplayinnerd.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear this, but I completely concur. Being able to work from home, I don't even try to make my 15-mile commute when there's ice on the road.

I hope this doesn't last long enough to squelch your travel plans for Conflikt. I'm really excited about seeing you come out to beautiful scenic Renton.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Like I said, that one's by train. I'm hoping there will be no problems that AmTrak can't handle. I knew for damn sure I wasn't driving over the Rockies in January.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good decision. There's always another con; there's not always another you after the car goes out of control.

Our snow is coming; thank the gods, it'll mostly be here after I get done with work for the week, tomorrow morning.

[hbruton.livejournal.com]

Smart of you to stay home. It's pretty nasty out there. A con is good fun but not worth your life. Stay home, sleep in, brew a nice pot of coffee and pamper yourself.

[wildcard9.livejournal.com]

Wise decission. I am hoping that the weather co-operates next weekend for Arisia in Boston. Tomorrow we are getting 3-plus inches of snow in the morning. I hope it does not repeat next Friday (when I drive down) or Monday (when I drive home). Even as a local, I hesitate to go when the roads are bad. Got snowed in at that con once before, don't want to repeat it.

[jss]

Ah, yes, "the Con That Wouldn't End," aka "Oh shit, we need to schedule some emergency programming." That was a fun year.

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to Gafilk, alas. It has something to do with no money, and something to do with being upteen gazillion miles away from me.

How can you survive living in Michigan and not being comfortable driving in bad weather?? I'd either go crazy or move, I think.

[alverant.livejournal.com]

It's not driving in bad weather, it's driving in bad weather for several hundred miles. It's not like the state suffers from horrible snow storms every day of the year. I live in Chicagoland and only 5 times a winter at most is the snow bad enough to make me reconsider driving anywhere even to the corner supermarket.

[joecoustic.livejournal.com]

I'll miss seeing you but your decision is a good one. I probably would have seriously considered doing the same if I hadn't already driven down on Wednesday.

[sweetmusic-27.livejournal.com]

Aww. *hugs* Stay safe - and warm. See you at the next con!