LoneStarcon

We had dinner the first night of the con with Alistair and Josette Reynolds from Wales.  We ate at one of those meat-on-a-sword places, prix fixee for all you can eat.  I opted for the salad, rather than start the con off already stuffed. 

After dinner we took a boat ride down the "river" . . . it's an artificial canal, but I found out that it did used to be an actual river.  It kept flooding the center of town, so about a century ago they terraformed it with impressive steel locks.


Next night we went with the Silverbergs to what is reputedly the best restaurant in San Antonio, but unfortunately the word has gotten out, so the ambience was din and more din.  I did have an excellent pair of quail for my hundred bucks, and two very good wines.

(Actually, if you had food that good at that price in New York, the place would be as jammed.)

Conversation was limited by the noise, though.  We see Bob and Karen so infrequently, I'd trade food quality for a quieter ambience.

We showed up at a Finnish party for awhile, congenial enough if loud and crowded.  I was quite exhausted by midnight and so, determined to act my age, I slunk back to the hotel after one beer.  (They did have plenty of that evil-smelling black Finnish liquor, but I politely declined.)

In the morning I went downstairs to write, but the airconditioning was absolutely freezing.  So I sat down at a table outside at street level – and was stung by a wasp! Thanks a lot, Mother Nature.  It bothered my arm all day, but I soldiered through four panels.

(Actually, the panels were pretty enjoyable, and in responding to one of the questions from the audience, I got an idea that I think will be central to my next novel!  So who says going to cons is a self-indulgent waste of time?  Not me!)

Meeting Rick Wilber for breakfast, so better close and post this.

Joe