Sep 21 2013
Film editor wrangler chap, Alan Wright has wrestled mightily with the 9 hours of footage from the splendid party they threw f
or me in Las Vegas. It has been squished down to 45 minutes of fun, frolics and hot tub shenanigans.
Many thanks to Alan and Dedee for a splendid party and such wonderful hospitality.
Sep 10 2013
I recorded a little audio when I was at a Jazz festival in New Orleans. I was listening to it and thought, hmmm, this would be a really nice backdrop to some of the photos I took there. So, I put the music and the pictures together with a commentary and shoved them on Youtube.
Hope some of you enjoy it:
Sep 8 2013
A big thank you to all the accomodation hosts and party hosts who looked after me throughout the trip.
Thank you Catherine and Colin, Curt and Liz, Randy, Glenn and Allison, Dave, Jay and Dixie, John and Jacq, Alan and Dedee, Arnie and Joyce, Nic, Rebecca and Ragnar and David and Janice plus many many more people who took me places and showed me stuff.
Sep 7 2013
After one month, eight cities and more parties than I can remember I have finally returned home. I must admit to being a little weary at the moment.
However, I am already being prodded with sharp pointy sticks in the hope that a TAFF trip report will be shortly forthcoming.
Today though I shall lay about doing nothing.
The sharp eyed among you will have spotted that Carrie bought red, white and blue flowers to welcome me back.
Sep 5 2013
I am nearing the end of my trip and am absolutely exhausted. New Orleans has received me happily but I fear they are getting a haggard and weary TAFF delegate. My host is also quite tired though as she hosted New Orleans in 2018 Worldcon bid parties throughout LoneStarCon3.
I attended a party celebrating 30 years of the local Trek group Krewe of the Enterprize where I sampled Gumbo and Jambalaya.
and today I’ve sampled a ‘po’ boy’ and snowball thing, been seeing the sights of the city and then had a fine dinner (catfish) with a few friends.
Those friends being Rebecca Smith, Ragnarok (taking the picture) Gary and Dean Sweatman, and Bill Wright.
Sep 1 2013
We had a fine time at the Fan Fund auction at LoneStarCon 3.
Chris Garcia, John Hertz, Murray Moore and myself all did a bit of auctioning. Jacq Monahan bustled about organising stuff and Naomi Fisher kept us on the straight and narrow cracking the whip when we got too self indulgent.
The crowds gather for the fan auction.
After the auction, Naomi Fisher desperately tries to make sense of this pile of all these pieces of paper.
We don’t know how much money we made yet but it seemed pretty successful.
Aug 28 2013
There must be few places on earth as peculiar as Las Vegas. The first two things that catch my eye as I exit the plane and enter the terminal are row upon row of slot machines and a huge advertising board showing busty blonde with automatic rifle and bearing the legend, ‘shoot a real one’. I know this will be an alien land.
And so I launch into a week of fun filled frolics.
There was hot tubbing on Thursday, Gondola under artificial sky on Friday plus an excellent buffet dinner with Linda and Ron Bushyager. Saturday some rest and then party at Arnie and Joyce’s. Sunday Brunchcon – an all day celebration full of booze, chat, hot tubbing, a rocking string quartet and lots of fine folks.
Monday, Valley of Fire (where it rained – apparently that was all my fault. It doesn’t usually rain in the desert), Hoover Dam and then some fine Mexican food with Jacq Monahan and John Wesley Hardin. Tuesday Jacq and John took us to a dive bar that called itself the Happiest Place on Earth. We drank Bacon Martinis which were truly horrible so I washed it down with a proper gin martini. Then to a show where cats and dogs jumped through, over and around stuff.Then astoundingly scary roller coaster (if anyone tells you I screamed like a girl on there then don’t believe them – I’m far too butch for that kind of behaviour). Then to Arnie and Joyce for dinner.
Back at the hotel I played a poker machine and managed to magically transform 2 dollars into a 2 dollar credit note – I reckon that probably doesn’t make me a high roller.
Aug 25 2013
In Las Vegas tomorrow (Sunday 25th August) we will be gathering for an all day feast and frolic.
The event will be livestreamed from 2pm EDT which will be around 10pm in the United Kingdom.
Here’s the link to the livestream page http://new.livestream.com/Brunchcon3
Aug 24 2013
I staggered off the airplane and after much aimless wandering I arrived at the baggage carousel to rescue giant purple luggage and await my welcome. The airport conspired against us and welcoming committee were led astray among the wilds of terminal one. Meanwhile at terminal three I was becoming a little perturbed. Various people were wandering about with signs but none carried my name. One had no name at all so I asked him whether he might be searching for a Mowatt. He said no but asked if I was part of a toothpaste convention. I was quite sure that I was not and assured him so. Unconvinced he enquired further – I replied no. “Are you sure” said he. He seemed to be getting quite insistent so afeard that I might be coshed over the head and dragged away to attend joyful toothpaste convention frolics I backed away. A little while later my reception committee untangled themselves from terminal one and our happy little band was complete.
Thanks to Carrie, Brenda Dupont and Jacq Monahan for splendid welcome.
Aug 20 2013
It was an exciting day of planes, trains and automobiles. I went on a steam train, was transported all over the place in car and went for a joy ride around the Bay and the mountains in a small light aircraft. Great fun although terrifying when he threw the controls across to me and told me to start flying. I lurched around in the sky for a while and then he took back control of the aircraft. Later that day we went along to the BASFA meet chaired by that bounder of adventure, Chris Garcia. Bill Wright, the winner of the DUFF race was there too. A momentous meeting and Bill and I posed for many pics.
