Kevin's Watch

Orlion, how much is bus fare? You may be able to find really inexpensive airfare.
...maybe.

If I pay in advance, just under 200. This is round trip, also if I stay at a Super 8 or the like, I'm looking at this trip costing less than the average airline ticket (time to work like crazy, I could actually earn the money I need and then some in two weeks.... very doable )

Go for it!

rdhopeca, too bad you can't finagle a longer stay. But we'll take what we can get...

Getting excited now. Only three months away (give or take a week or two)!

Orlion wrote:If I pay in advance, just under 200. This is round trip, also if I stay at a Super 8 or the like, I'm looking at this trip costing less than the average airline ticket (time to work like crazy, I could actually earn the money I need and then some in two weeks.... very doable )

Are you staying more than just saturday night? If you are only staying the one night, I am serious about sharing my room, I'm going to have two beds...

unless you snore...or itch...

rdhopeca wrote:

Orlion wrote:If I pay in advance, just under 200. This is round trip, also if I stay at a Super 8 or the like, I'm looking at this trip costing less than the average airline ticket (time to work like crazy, I could actually earn the money I need and then some in two weeks.... very doable )

Are you staying more than just saturday night? If you are only staying the one night, I am serious about sharing my room, I'm going to have two beds...

unless you snore...or itch...

Thanks, but I'll be there Friday through Sunday... that's the plan anyway...

Legend also has it that I sometimes snore... sometimes it's loud, sometimes it sounds like I'm dying, but there isn't any pattern to it

I'm bummed that Sea is a definite no. That totally sucks. However, we still could do a fundraiser to help Wadds get to the fest. Any thoughts on that?

I can help.

Happy to.

Yeah Jenn we tried to call you last night about stuff like that but you wouldn't pick up!!!!

Does Jenn txt yet?? I'd surely bother you with Malazan stuff. Just ask ali.

Fist and Faith wrote:Does Jenn txt yet?? I'd surely bother you with Malazan stuff. Just ask ali.

I dunno that Jenn's all that into Malazan...

Doubt it will be a problem. If Jenn receives texts and Fist gets the number, my understanding is that he is capable of coming up with something to text about...at almost any hour.

Well, he's not *quite* that bad.

You only say that because you don't play Pantheon.

But yeah, Jenn's met Erikson & Esjkfpjnwnt, and her life is much less than it should be for lack of txts from me about it all.

aliantha wrote:Well, he's not *quite* that bad.

...unless you're a Pantheon player on the west coast.
When he's excited, Fist's texts start early when one is on the west coast...

Aunt Wendy may be moving from Albuquerque to San Diego, and Kate has been astonishingly non responsive about putting us up-- she's a Dune fan, and I've told her that only Dune, TLOTR, and TCTC have the kind of cultish following she understands.
However, I am an avid camper and there are wonderful places to camp all around Albuquerque.
I'm hoping to have enough money saved for breakfast, tea, and dinner. I also hope to bring libations and treats to share.
I hope to introduce everyone at Danlo's bbq to the best sauce made: Stubb's, made by world famous Austin resturauntuer Earnest Stubbs.
It has been a tough time for us, but we are slowly getting out of the red.
If there are other financial considerations, please advise.
Sadly, my daughter was busted with pot last fall, and her mother does not trust her to stay up here with me more than two weeks this summer. It is doubtful she will make it.
Over Christmas, I sold her on LFB and she read a few pages. I packed it off with her, but when I ask her if she's read it she says "It's just not my thing."
Much to my chagrin, she has recently posted her avid reading of the "Harry Potter" books.
"Not your thing, eh?" I replied.
She didn't get it.
My implication was that Lulu was reading fantasy.
If the kid prefers a bologna sandwich to a fine steak, so be it. I did my best!

Menolly wrote:

aliantha wrote:Well, he's not *quite* that bad.

...unless you're a Pantheon player on the west coast.
When he's excited, Fist's texts start early when one is on the west coast...

Incorrect. When one lives on the west coast, I give them a few extra hours. Ask around. East Coasters visiting the west are still East Coasters, and should expect to be treated like one.

I was at work when you called, Lady Tam & Danlo and I didn't see the message until late. I'll call you tomorrow. Yes, I text now but I don't carry my phone at work so if I don't get back to you right away don't get offended. And yes, Fist is right. I got to know Steve Erikson pretty well at WFC not this past year but the year before. We hung out a bunch and were smoking buddies. He almost even gave me his bank card pin number which was too funny and which caused me to tease him about it the rest of the weekend. AND the most painful part for Fist to hear, in a private smoking conversation, just Steve and I, I was telling him about my favorite parts of his books and he was really happy about some of my choices because apparently a lot of the readers don't quite "get" the characters the way he intended but I apparently did and in a moment of weakness he offered to answer any question I wanted about the next book and I thanked him and turned down the offer stating that I would much prefer to read it in the order and context it is written. His expression looked like I had just double fisted grab assed him and he even asked me if I was sure and I told him I was. I get the feeling he has never been turned down that way before nor had a fan NOT want to pester him with questions, just tell him the parts that I enjoyed. He's a really nice guy.

Ian is a bit reserved, more the quiet observer type. He did thank me for my honesty upon meeting him that I had not yet read any of his Malazan books but they were next on my list. (This was when I first met him and Steve and I was getting Lucimay's nice books signed and when Steve asked me if I had my own books to be signed I confessed that all my copies of his books were tattered used paperbacks not worth signing) Anyway, I think the most engaged I saw Ian act was the final morning before the banquet, there was a group of writers and I hanging out yammering, Steve E., Ian, Bob Vardeman, Mike Stackpole, Nathan Long and some guy who's name I can't remember. Anyway we somehow got to the subject of female readers and what sort of things they look for in fantasy which translated to wondering how they attract more female readers so I ended up going off on how I choose random books and how cover art is my first lure and how a BAD author photo will put me off the book entirely and then proffered up Terry Goodkind as the poster child for bad author pictures and that the angry brooding dramatic author look was one of the best ways to make me put the book right back down unless the book had been highly recommended to me by a trusted source. I named off a few authors I found I really enjoyed by that method and then finished up with a disclaimer about it not always working and told them if anyone knew Mercedes Lackey I would appreciate it if they could ask her for my three dollars and those hours of my life back that she owes me for reading her drivel. Ian was quite interested in my take on attracting female readers.

As far as the fundraiser goes.... I'll pm Wadds to see if she can come up with a figure she would need for airfare etc. I lost her number in my last phone fiasco so if anyone has it maybe you could call her to expedite the gathering of numbers. In the interim, pm me what you can donate and once we have a figure posted I will let us all know how close we are. If Wadds is comfy giving out her address we can just mail checks to her direct or if she can get set up on paypal that works too. We can figure that out when we figure up the primary details.

Ok! Looks like Waddley's attendance is a done deal! Lots of folks were generous so many thanks. Sea, I really wish we could have tried to get you here but I promise to post a vast array of photos as quick as I can the whole time. You will be sorely missed.

What day/time is everyone flying in/out? I'd like to schedule my timing so I can hitch rides with peeps.