Now for the obligatory Balticon 43 wrap up, anticipated and expected. Memorial day weekend saw me, once again, at the lovely Hunt Valley Marriott attending Balticon, the area’s largest science fiction convention, run by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. Now…
The Good
Where to begin. It was great seeing folks I met last year, meeting new people this year, and meeting some of my favorite authors and podcasters. The panels I attended were FANTASTIC! Only one panel I questioned why I was there. The rest were quite excellent. Highlights were: opening ceremonies, Steampunk Ball, Science programme, meeting the FDO, costumes (mine), Volunteering (con suite), launch party (JC Hutchins/Christiana Ellis), New Media party (more talking, meeting and greeting), the Singularity.
Wow, so much goodness! First the people! I met SO MANY new people, it was awesome! If you’re here because I gave you one of my wee cards, HELLO! I love you! Drop you name in the comments or email me, I would love to hear from you again! I don’t remember anyone’s name! I met some great people during my volunteering as well. I met great people walking around, I met great people dancing at the Steampunk ball, I met great people in the bathroom, I met great people in the dealer’s room, I met great people in the lobby, I met great people outside, I met great people at the panels. Listen, I met some great people this weekend! Hello!
I met the FDO! Scott Sigler himself. He was the nicest person ever! I hope I am spared when he becomes the FDO. I managed to corner him for almost an hour in the Con Suite during the Meet the GOH thing and nobody else wanted to talk to him! What is up with that! It was kinda hidden though, and being a volunteer I knew ALL ABOUT IT! W00T!
I also met PG Holyfield. You know him as the author of Murder at Avedon Hill, which I talked all about in this earlier post. He was also super duper nice.
Then there was JC hutchins, and if you go by the massive amount of evidence, I was stalking him!
I wasn’t really stalking him, but as usual I didn’t take many photos, but I ended up with four of him. Go figure. He was also super duper nice and so easy to talk to.
This was one of my favorites. I took this during his reading and he was really into the story and bringing it alive for us all.
I just cannot talk about all the good I was involved with. There was too much of it. I do want to talk about my costume. I loved the steampunk and I am sorry I never got a decent picture of it. I’ll have to put it on and have Jason take some pictures. There should be plenty of pictures of it on the interwebs because I had dozens of request for have my photos taken, and you can just see the top of it in the photo of me and JC above. You’ll have to excuse the lunatic smile on my face. I was exhausted and it was like 12:30 am and I hadn’t gotten much sleep in the days/nights previous.
The Bad
The worst thing was that I never got anything like enough sleep or enough to eat. I calculate that between Thursday AM and Monday AM, I got ~22 hours of sleep (I usually get at least 36 hours), spent a total of ~7 waking hours at home with the family, and ate a total of four full meals, mostly on Thursday and Friday, I never did eat (anything of consequence)on Sat or Sunday and it got to the point that on Sunday I was unable to regulate my body temperature, I was freezing and went to the Con Suite where my new friends injected me with treats and goodies. Very stupid and I am old enough to know better. When you get that little sleep, you MUST eat!
My pirate wench costume. Actually in the picture above, the top looks really good. I hope that’s what it really looked like. I wasn’t very happy with this costume, I did find the big full skirt very comfy but i think it was too big and poofy and the costume seemed unbalanced. I spent the longest time on this costume and I am upset that I was so unhappy with it. I made the top, the scarf and the sash myself, and they seemed to turn out well. Of course, you can’t see much in the photo. Oh well, you can’t win them all, right?
I also, for the second year running, never did get a chance to talk to Mur Lafferty. This is my own fault. Every time I saw her she looked really busy and rushing around, I didn’t want to “bother” her. Oh well, nothing like missed opportunity. Maybe next year.
The Ugly
Not so much of this. The entire Con was great, and even the stuff I listed above in The Bad, wasn’t bad so much more like unfortunate. I was snubbed by an author. Listen, I am a fan. I went out and purchased your book. Then I have logged many an hour listening to your stories. Then I try to talk to you at the con and you can barely drag up the interest to respond to my questions, well excuse the #@%$%out of me for daring to bother you during a FAN convention. Maybe I’ll just take your book, shred it, mail it back to you with a big #%@$% off written on the envelope! I’ll probably just send him an email letting him know the depth of my dissatisfaction. Then if he is a jerk I may well do as I said. There is just no reason to be rude to a fan. If it wasn’t for people like me he would be nothing!
So, there you have it. Balticon 43. We’ll see you at Balticon 44.
Tags: balticon8 Comments
8 responses so far ↓
Hee! Thanks so much for the kind words about me and my work. It was a joy seeing you at the con!
awwww. I think I’m blushing. JC Hutchins, everyone!
A real, genuine pleasure meeting you. Smart chemists in snazzy black lace steampunk outfits will from here on out be high on my list.
Sound like you’re pissed at a writer. I wasn’t there, but I know some of my contemporaries are a bit on the shy side. It’s possible this author is in that group, and meant no offense.
I think that rushing around may just be Mur Lafferty’s default state, and I can attest that the pirate wench costume was awesome.
And JC, Scott, and Mr Holyfield are uber-awesome, aren’t they?
Yes, they should be high on your list. We shall save the world, you know.
I’m willing to give the guy a break. It was late in the Con and we were all probably a bit on the exhausted side. I know I was. Everyone can’t always be as happy go lucky as I am!
I think it is her default state. Like I said, my fault, not hers.
Thanks for the costume props, glad to know it looked great!
So VERY cool to meet you. Wasn’t looking good in the early going so I’m glad you finally sat right down next to me at JC’s reading. Another AMAZING Balticon filled with just the right balance of new folks and familiar faces. Didn’t get to shake the FDO’s hand, but maybe that works in my favor when the plaid tanks roll out. He’ll never find me ! JC, Mur, and your costumery all make the ‘awesome list’. Be well, and see ya round the interwebs.
Very cool to meet you too Sir!