ICFA roundup
Mar. 29th, 2012 09:30 amSo the parts of last week not focused on golf were more or less focused on ICFA when I wasn't sleeping through it. Sorry, guys, that most definitely counts under the "it's not you, it's me," umbrella; the worst thing about ICFA was that I didn't get to spend nearly enough time at it; I was there for maybe 1/3 of the con. The second worst thing was that the poolside bar a) had no amaretto on hand – cranberry juice, yes; amaretto no, and nearly drowning a later cranberry juice in vodka did not quite make up for this, and b) was under the impression that pina coladas are best made with tequila, and not the best tequila at that. Sigh.
(Not really a sidenote: I get that the ICFA organizers really, really want everyone to stay at the con and not get tempted away by the many distractions of the greater central Florida area, but, honestly? This hotel? Not just stuck in one of the least interesting areas of central Florida, but also, really not near any restaurants, which is a problem if you are either in a wheelchair or with someone in a wheelchair. I'd be less frustrated if I weren't aware of all of the available convention space in the area. Sigh.)
Not that the conference was entirely based on the pool bar or drinking. I also, and I take great pride in this, managed to get to the lobby, and to the little ICFA bookstore (where, to my surprise and pleasure, I ended up getting to sign copies of Future Lovecraft. While I'm on the subject, I should note that Future Lovecraft will be appearing in trade paperback from Prime Books later this year – more announcements when that happens) and even one of the conference lunches (where once again the noise made me feel ill and I ended up having to duck out early. Next year I am following the excellent example of the Tachyon crowd and having lunch someplace else.)
But most of the time I was by the pool, drinking things (not just alcohol) and enjoying various marvelous conversations, which is not a bad way to go to a conference. Or sometimes napping in the pool chairs. Or in one case getting a sneak preview of Charles Vess' upcoming illustrations for a Charles de Lint book before we both realized that however much drinking might be going on at the moment this was most definitely not Our Crowd and that we needed to go find other people doing a lot of drinking to find Our Crowd. (Rumor had it that they were pharmacy reps.)
This is, I suppose, the place for the traditional list of "people I hung out with at IAFA" but it is the sort of list that is too long for this post – and yet not really long enough, either. I can say that if I talked to you, I apologize for going "YAY PERSON WHO GETS ME" and babbling all over you and only wish the conversation could have lasted longer, and if I didn't get a chance to talk to you, next time!
Thanks to everyone who helped with doors and drinks, and especial thanks to![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rachel_swirsky and her husband Mike who went above and beyond with rides last week. I can only hope that showing them a small baby alligator (well, technically, three years old alligator, and, well, technically I had very little to do with arranging that) sorta made up for that.
(Not really a sidenote: I get that the ICFA organizers really, really want everyone to stay at the con and not get tempted away by the many distractions of the greater central Florida area, but, honestly? This hotel? Not just stuck in one of the least interesting areas of central Florida, but also, really not near any restaurants, which is a problem if you are either in a wheelchair or with someone in a wheelchair. I'd be less frustrated if I weren't aware of all of the available convention space in the area. Sigh.)
Not that the conference was entirely based on the pool bar or drinking. I also, and I take great pride in this, managed to get to the lobby, and to the little ICFA bookstore (where, to my surprise and pleasure, I ended up getting to sign copies of Future Lovecraft. While I'm on the subject, I should note that Future Lovecraft will be appearing in trade paperback from Prime Books later this year – more announcements when that happens) and even one of the conference lunches (where once again the noise made me feel ill and I ended up having to duck out early. Next year I am following the excellent example of the Tachyon crowd and having lunch someplace else.)
But most of the time I was by the pool, drinking things (not just alcohol) and enjoying various marvelous conversations, which is not a bad way to go to a conference. Or sometimes napping in the pool chairs. Or in one case getting a sneak preview of Charles Vess' upcoming illustrations for a Charles de Lint book before we both realized that however much drinking might be going on at the moment this was most definitely not Our Crowd and that we needed to go find other people doing a lot of drinking to find Our Crowd. (Rumor had it that they were pharmacy reps.)
This is, I suppose, the place for the traditional list of "people I hung out with at IAFA" but it is the sort of list that is too long for this post – and yet not really long enough, either. I can say that if I talked to you, I apologize for going "YAY PERSON WHO GETS ME" and babbling all over you and only wish the conversation could have lasted longer, and if I didn't get a chance to talk to you, next time!
Thanks to everyone who helped with doors and drinks, and especial thanks to
rachel_swirsky and her husband Mike who went above and beyond with rides last week. I can only hope that showing them a small baby alligator (well, technically, three years old alligator, and, well, technically I had very little to do with arranging that) sorta made up for that.