Denvention - Friday

Jeri and I just dragged ourselves back from Denvention.
We got there late because we were a) chatting about writing and b) laughing our butts off reading the comments for Jim Wright's post inviting people to tell him why he's a jerk. Check in went very smoothly and so we went to the second half of a panel about scifi and questioning social norms. It was pretty much your standard scifi panel, with some very cogent discussion on how avant garde scifi is or isn't and how it contributes to the progress of ideas. Then we met up with Tania and went to a nearly 100% comedic panel including writing greats such as Connie Willis (who was adorable, funny, and smart as a whip), Greg Bear, and Jay Lake. The comedy part was the fact that there was no set discussion theme, they answered questions (sometimes wacky questions) from the audience.
After that, we went to a hotel restaurant (way high priced, we could have done better, but were too lazy) and chatted with Tania, her friend Lance, and Janiece and her Smart Man. We had a great time talking, and I had the (overpriced, but good) buffet so I could eat at whatever pace I felt like. We forgot to get photographic evidence -- of the meeting or the food.
In the afternoon, we wandered around the merchandizing area and looked at books, clever Tshirts, and jewelry. I tried on a corset. It wasn't too uncomfortable (though I didn't try to sit down) and was made well with some lovely brocades. Unfortunately, it was also $400. We left just in time to make it to a reading by Elizabeth Moon, except that it had been moved to a different room, far away. By the time we got there, we were late, of course, but were there in time to appreciate her reading an unpublished short story. She then took questions and she talked about her next book (in the Paksenarrion world!) and what the experience was like to write The Speed of Dark. I didn't have any books for her to sign, but I did go up and act like a completely geeky fan, saying "thank you for writing" and "your writing inspires me to do the same." I wish I had been more coherent, but I was a little unnerved, not by meeting her, but by my reaction to meeting her. It was odd.
Afterwards, we went back to the overpriced hotel bar and met Janiece and her Smart Man for drinks. We had a great time talking to them. I really enjoy their company. This was documented, and a picture can be found on Jeri's blog. They had to leave since Boogey, their dog, needed to be let out, fed, etc. but Jeri and I went back in for the Masquarade. That was essentially the costume competition. It ranged from merely well-designed gowns to whole productions including multiple costumed characters and singing and dancing. I particularly liked the velociraptors, the Elizabethan Faerie King and Queen, and the Chairman of the Borg (Frank Sinatra singing as if he were a Borg drone). Wil McCarthy did a brave job of MCing the process. That was about 1 1/2 hours long, so we just got home. Or rather, we had just gotten home when I started this post, but now it's much later.

Ooh, and now I'm eating yummy chocolates brought all the way from Seattle. Thank you to my houseguest, Jeri! [cue Homeresque gargle... chocolate!]

Denvention Time

I don't consider myself an uber sci-fi geek, but I am conversant in science fiction books, TV, and movies and if the biggest science fiction convention in the world (at least I assume so, as it's called Worldcon) shows up on my doorstep, I consider it an imperetive to go. To add to the fun, some of my fellow UCFers (Janiece, Tania, and Jeri, plus various other UCF personages, such as the Smart Man) will be there. AND I'm taking a day off work to go.

I'll permit myself a little uber geek moment right now... SQUEEEEE! :D

Jeri will be blogging via her Blackberry, so if you want to follow our progress, you might look at her blog.

Early End to the Weekend

LOOT! I just got (well, OK, a couple days ago) a postcard from the lovely Appalachians! That's right, Michelle! Thank you!

I'm picking up Jeri from the airport in a couple hours and tomorrow and Saturday we'll be going to Denvention to soak in the geekitude and watch some interesting panels on science fiction.

I'll report back, of course.

Sign of the Coming Apocalypse

I generally don't think much of Paris Hilton, but the second half of this "ad" like totally makes sense! OMG!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Apocalypse...

Pooped

I don't know what they're talking about with the whole "exercise is invigorating" BS. Maybe my endorphin phactory is broken.
I've exercised three days in a row (am not tomorrow, I'll tell ya that!) and I am P-O-O-P-E-D.

I'd write more, but I'm too tired.

Review: Hellboy 2

I saw Hellboy 2 last night. Wow, what a lush visual experience. I loved the imagery, particularly the part with the forest elemental. I haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth yet, but I really really want to now. The main characters, as usual, were well done, but for me, the world they inhabited was the real center of the story. They also did a great job showing the grey areas. The "bad guy" had a point and the "good guys" were a bit on the destructive side as well.
All in all, I enjoyed it very much. Four out of Five Stars.

AND I got loot from Janiece! [does the Loot Dance]
Thank you, Janiece!

Test Drive Day, Part 1

I've been talking about getting another bike, so I finally got off my butt to go out and test drive some bikes today. I went to the BMW/Triumph dealer, since I like the retro look of the Triumph bikes (British!). I got to test drive an older model ('06 or '07, I think) of the Triumph Thruxton. It's a racing bike, so the handlebars were much further down than I'm used to (the current model's handlebars are higher up, which is why I'm considering it at all). So, it's my first real test drive (drove a friend's Vmax briefly, and now I wish I had borrowed it for longer) on a bike that was significantly different from my bike. I was leaning way forward (so much so that I felt like I was going to fall forward) where on my bike, I sit straight up. The bike was heavier, taller, more powerful (865 cc vs. 250 cc) and the foot pegs were tucked under me instead of just under my knees. The salesman (appropriately enough, an Englishman) suggested a test drive route, which was very helpful (reduced decision-making while driving). It was mostly in-town, but there were a couple miles on the highway, from Wadsworth to Simms on 6th, enough for me to get comfy, then realize I could go faster than on my bike! I got up to 80 or so before having to slow down for the exit, and that wasn't on full blast. :D The safety patrol of my readers will *tsk tsk*, but I pretty much had to try it. :D I wouldn't buy the vehicle I test rode, since my back was already aching by the end of the twenty minute ride, but I'd consider the one with the higher handlebars.
I also wanted to try the Triumph Bonneville, but they recently sold thier test model and hadn't cleared another one for test riding. They'll give me a call when it is.
After that, I moved on to the Suzuki dealer. Unlike the lovely people at the Triumph dealership, a sales fellow (the owner of the dealership, I think) said that on Saturdays he's "short on staff" and I should come back during the week. He's short on friggin' staff on the weekend? What the hell? That's when working blokes like myself have friggen' time to go shopping! Then, to add injury to insult, he reminded me to wear long pants and closed toed shoes - a reasonable request, if I was wearing a skirt and high heels... except that I wasn't! Because I rode my bike there, I was wearing jeans and tennis shoes (on a hot day!) and was carrying my motorcycle jacket. I clearly know what to wear to ride, you patronizing git. I'd rather not buy a bike from him, but I might have to go back for a test drive and then buy from someone else. Muahahahahaha!
I was highly tempted to go right away to the other side of town to another Suzuki dealership, but I ended up going to dinner with my uncle Sam. A much better way to spend an evening, I believe.

In other news, I went to a late showing of Blade Runner at Red Rocks, a beautiful outdoor venue, with some friends. I hadn't seen it for a long time (years) and I had forgotten how great it is. Before watching the movie, we hung out and one of my friends was really throwing me for a loop talking about the fabulous performance by Dolph Lundgren and what happened to him after that? I couldn't remember him in it, but then again it had been a long time. I really couldn't imagine a fabulous perfomance by Dolph Lundgren either, but... OK. Then, another friend joined the conversation. "Oh, you mean Rutger Hauer?" Now that I remember! Yes, fabulous death scene. And aside from the divine Ladyhawke, yes, he did kind of disappear into B-movieland. Sure, they're both Teutonic testosterone-laden action heroes, but really... mixing those two up?

Hope you all are having a great weekend.

Chocolate Review

Looks like Jeri is the latest recipient of the Bonbon Bar Blessing.

I'm not sure if you guys noticed, so I'll it point out: you can check back on the Tania, Bonbon Queen post to see what I thought of each chocolate bar.