So, let's open the TARDIS doors and walk out onto Day the Fourth...
1
I got up late and didn't know anyone's coffee/WiFi plans. And I had my own plans before the noon checkout. I needed to check on stuff, so I let myself get buggered for another $12.95 for some quick intarweb access. Ah, well. Once I solidified my departure plans, I headed directly to my first mission objective for the day, which was...
2
...the Interstitial Arts Foundation Town Meeting. Because of my exhaustion at this point, I couldn't fight the fanboy in me that was in awe of sitting in the same tiny room as Theodora Goss, K. Tempest Bradford, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Shira Lipkin, and others. Kathryn Cramer even stopped in. I did manage to introduce myself when they went around the room, and I managed to drop Daniel Rabuzzi's name, as the person who suggested I go to Readercon in the first place! So besides getting to sit in the midst of their brainstorming session, I got to walk away with the submission guidelines to Interfictions 0 as well as the Interfictions 2 Study Guide.
3
With that mission complete, I moved to my main objective, the one thing I wanted to accomplish at Readercon if I accomplished nothing else: To shake Howard Waldrop's hand, tell him how much I love his collection Howard, Who? and to have him sign my copy.
He was far from the person who used Marty Halpern to give me his line from The Moone Room and who told the crowd, "Y'all can go now." at the end of his reading. His smile at my appreciation of his book really, really made my con.
4
Afterward, I took one step over to Cathrynne M. Valente, who was also doing autographs. I fanboyed out again and didn't tell her how much I enjoyed The Orphan's Tales, but I ask to play her d20 game! I'm anxiously awaiting my prize!
5
After that, it was checkout, and then waiting around to begin my indentured servitude (see #6). While I waited, I said my goodbyes to Nancy and her boyfriend, and MCM, as well as Marlin (who I hoped to see later in the day, but alas, didn't).
The best part was finally getting to sit down with songwriter John Anealio and talk with him for a bit about our relative newness to cons (my second, his third) and how sometimes, like I did on Saturday and most of Sunday, it's better to blow off a panel or two to just connect with people. (And in John's case, score a free copy of his CD Sci-Fi Songs.)
I have to say, connecting with people was really the best part of Readercon--after getting Waldrop's autograph, of course. ;)
6
I mentioned indentured servitude. It was the least I could do for Jaym for the many caffeine runs and ride to South Station, sparing me the two hour-long MBTA ride to Logan from the hotel. And so I followed Jaym and Bart Leib through the local Trader Joe's with a shopping cart, chopped some vegetables for the dinner she prepared for Bart, Marlin, Conni, and everyone else at the Leib home (minus Kay Holt who had a death in the family)...
...oh, and I got to taste-test bits of just about everything Jaym was preparing, complete with random cooking tips that I couldn't write down 'cos I was too busy chopping. I got to sample large amounts of salsa. And sip some really good hot cocoa. Yes, I can hear you saying, "You poor bastard."
7
And then it was time to leave. Jaym drove, with me in tow, back to Burlington to pick up Eric and then take us both to South Station. We said our goodbyes. And then I began the whirlwind trip back to New York and reality.
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I can't wait to go back next year. If I work things out right, I'll still shell out for my own hotel room but I think I'm going to drive there. If nothing else, I need to pay folks back for some rides, and/or pay them forward.