Finally, the obligatory WFC post....

[j_cheney]

So, at WFC at the small press launch party, I got the best fortune cookie ever.

You have a flair for adding a fanciful dimension to any story.

This is now taped to my monitor. For most people, this could be taken as "You are such a liar!", but for me, I'll consider it a compliment.

I also got another one at a Chinese restaurant where displacedtexan and I ate with Patrice Sarath and her husband and son, Linda Glaser, and Yvonne and Dylan, both of whose last names I've forgotten (must look those up). Not too surprisingly, the cookies all had fortunes in English and in French. What surprised me was that the fortunes were different between the two languages. That seems wrong.

Oh, yes, WFC....

Well, let me see. I got to spend a lot of time with wonder people. Some I was meeting in the flesh for the first time (such as aliettedb and tlmorganfield, others were old friends such as saycestsay and kijjohnson, and newer friends like Nina Kiriki Hoffman (who is the kindest woman on earth.) I got to further my acquaintaince with safewrite and meet some new people like Joan Savage, bravado111, scbutler, jetse, and gwyndolin.

This is the whole point of cons, isn't it?

I didn't meet some other people. I sat next to Shawna McCarthy in the bar, but didn't introduce myself. I walked up to Sean Wallace but he was in a rush, so I didn't introduce myself--and then never got around to hunting him down in the dealer's room. Stupid me. Totally my fault there.

And then there's that awkward moment when you realize someone doesn't remember having met you before and, say, critiquing one of your stories in a workshop. (There were a couple of those.) And of course, the cool people who recognize you and are kind enough to be friendly and wave. Those are always nice.

Social ineptitude moment? Yep, I had one of those as well.
Note to self: Not all people like to be hugged. If they get the 'deer in the headlights' look when you approach with your arms open, abort...


Over all, I thought it a very enjoyable con.
I don't think I'm going to do San Jose next year, but mainly because we're talking WisCon instead. We'll have to see. ;o)

Comments

[incandragon.livejournal.com]

Oh, I DEEPLY like that the French fortune is different than the English! Because after reading the fortune, a French woman wouldn't do the same things that an English woman would, now would she? There's all the smoking, and yelling, and sex on a Vespa.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Oh please, that's the Italian woman.... ;o)

[incandragon.livejournal.com]

Merde. You're right.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Mwahahaha!

I did find it curious, though. I wish I knew where I put the thing. If I find it, I'll post it.

[countesslovlace.livejournal.com]

Man, and this the one year I won't be at WisCon either because of a major family event.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Drat! We're worried about a family event in 2010, so I understand. ;o)

[displacedtexan.livejournal.com]

We are? Oh, right.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

D'oh!

[alaneer.livejournal.com]

Sounds very exciting.

How exactly do you abort an open arm?

I like hugs, but keep your note to self in mind when I get to a Con.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm a large woman, and could crush you ;o)

[alaneer.livejournal.com]

I have a couple of RL large friends and none of them crushed me yet. Besides, I'm an amazon--a miniature one.

But seriously, how would I abort an open arm approach to someone without looking silly? Just drop my arms and burst into tears? Stop and freeze?

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Beleive me, I considered the 'dropping my arms and crying'. It's just hard to stop once you're 'on approach' ;o)

[alaneer.livejournal.com]

That was exactly my thought, hard to stop.

[(Anonymous)]

my advice? don't ever open another fortune cookie. you will never be able to beat that.

I usually get the crappy fortunes. The worst one I ever got was:

"You will receive a fortune today."

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

ROTFL (good thing I wasn't drinking coffee).

That sounds like the fortune cookie writer was cheating....or drunk....or the regular guy called in sick and they had monkeys write the fortuerns that day!

Yes, I will laminate this one when I get the chance. ;o)

[spielmadchen.livejournal.com]

dagnabbit. forgot to login. that last one was from me.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Aha!

Well, it could have been a bad fortune, so you could look at the bright side. Better that than You will be hit by a bus.

Doctors appts going OK?

[spielmadchen.livejournal.com]

yeah. i need to go in for lab work tomorrow, though I think I can feel PMS coming on, so a little down today. But the odds are pretty lousy for the first IUI.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway.

[kelly-swails.livejournal.com]

I vote WisCon! Maybe we'll get to meet up there. And you can totally hug me, 'cause I'm a hugger too. :)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Oh, good! I'm glad not everyone freaks out when that happens ;o)

[therinth.livejournal.com]

Ha! Wiscon and WFC are my two cons this next year -- so i'll see you at one or the other, at least :D

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Yay!