Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Ze's Convention Ramble Part 2

Time for more GCLS Con observations from Ze....
Day Three....Saturday

Urgh. Who started the day before I was ready? Two hours sleep does not make for mental alertness. And who decided that it was a good idea to start the sessions at 8.30 the morning after the dinner/dance?? I bet I wasn't the only one who really wanted to see one of the 8.30 sessions who didn't make it.

Oh and - next year I must remember that I'm in America, and Americans only know two sizes when it comes to meals. "Extra Large" and "OMG how the hell do you expect me to eat all that!!". In the UK a fruit salad is very small. So - when I looked at the menu and it said "A Waffle" and further down "A Fruit Salad" - one or the other would have been good. Not both. In England a waffle is slightly smaller than a slice of bread. This waffle - it was genetically modified and bred on 3-mile island!! It was bloody huge. And it came with a portion of fruit on the side that was the size of a British fruit salad.

Then came the extra one I'd ordered. H blimey. It was a soup dish full. I could have fed a family of four on it.

What does Scarlett O'Hara say?? "As God is my witness I'll never be hungry again"?? Well - right at that moment that was how I felt. Albeit in a different way.

I made it to the next panel. "The Erotic Short Story". I really wanted to attend this one since that's what I write under one of my many pen-names. know I'm not that good. and I really want to be better. Once again I picked up a lot of good advice. I can't stress enough how useful all this was to novice writers.

Then there was another opportunity to buy books and get them signed. And of course more hi-jinks - including more cuffing. Unfortunately for the cuffee (KK), although a few of us carried handcuff keys for some reason none of them fit these cuffs.

Saturday evening and dinner with mates, they were brilliant. They'd gone and got information on restaurants in the area where I could eat. We went to a restaurant near the hotel. Had a great meal. Then back to the hotel bar for drinks. I really don't understand that hotel. Open the bar late. Close early. Don't they want to make money?? I guess I'm just used to the European custom of "Closing time is whatever time there's nobody left to spend".

After lots of beer, it was time for my very first hot-tub. It's not something we do in the UK. So I had no idea what to expect. So... what's all the fuss about?? It's a cross between a whirlpool bath and a swimming pool.

Hot swimming?? No thanks.

Sunday was the keynote speaker. This year it was Ann Bannon. And if there's a lesbian out there who doesn't know who she is - shame on you!! She spoke of her life. What life was like in the late 1950s/early 1960s. About getting "pulp" novels published. She got a standing ovation.

After lunch came the official closing ceremony. And then some fun. Denise had put in some hard work and rigged up a game of Jeopardy. Done a damn fine job of it. The "contestants" were hilarious. It wouldn't be fair to name names, but certain persons leaping up and down making indignant declarations in broad "Noo Yawk" ... and of course others removing their jackets & squaring up for fisticuffs!! Denise had also rigged up some games of charades - some of the authors volunteered to make fools of themselves... erm... entertain us with their skills. Though I'm afraid the games were chiefly memorable to me because a certain author friend - on being asked for help announced "I'm coming, I'm coming" and then realising what she'd said and how it would be taken by our group she dissolved into laughter and curled up on the floor at the feet of her partner. Oh how I longed for my camera!! It'll be a long while before she's allowed to forget that!!

Dinner & booze with mates again.

Home on Monday. Got stranded in Cleveland airport for over 6 hours due to weather. Things not to do in Cleveland Airport when you're stranded?? Read Karin's new book "Eighteenth & Castro". Oh boy!!

In summary. There were good points about the con, there were bad points. But I had a fantastic few days, I got to hang out with some really good mates. And I learned a lot. If I can afford it - then I'm definitely going again.

Ze


Ze really helped us out with this. Take a minute to thank her if you would. You can find her original work at: www.e-scribblers.com/insanebrit/. She loves writing fan fiction, however and her tales can be found in a variety of genres. Hopefully we'll be able to link to them from Uber Etc. soon.

Tamara

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