And it's off to Arizona

This weekend being the North American Discworld Convention, fabula_umbrae and I have driven out to Tempe, Arizona*. The con won't start until the day after tomorrow, giving us a day to recover from the trip and visit friends (in fact she's off in the pub with some as I type) and stuff. We're also waiting an extra day before returning, to recover from the con before driving back to Los Angeles. Then another day to recover, then ConChord starts out in the San Fernando Valley. Let's hear it for scheduling... Leastwise the Kazoo Awards are finished, and waiting in the garage for my return.

Actually the trip (which included some really nice scenery - must get pictures on the way back) didn't need as much recovery from as did our arrival when we discovered that the offramp listed on my triptic had been closed a few minutes before we got there, and that the detour wound around in several directions and then dumped us back on the freeway going the other direction. Sigh... Fortunately a local friend was able to guide us over the phone.

This is a nice hotel room I must say, complete with refrigerator. Plenty of room compared with the ones we usually wind up in at conventions. Not really enough drawers containing actual storage space as opposed to the aforementioned fridge or the room safe, also not enough power sockets for the stuff we brought, but that's not unusual; fortunately for the latter, I also brought a power strip. I will forgive the hotel a lot anyway - they've provided Internet access whence I'm typing these notes.

Phoenix, as usual, is hot. The Valley of the Sun emulates the Surface of same... though considerably moister. Tis muggy out and it's currently 12:21 in the morning. During the day... bleah.....

*Yes, after Iguanacon I did swear I'd never return without full environmental gear... but I have no intention of missing the first North American discworld con, complete with the author as GOH. Besides, the car does have a good air conditioning system, as does the hotel - that's close enough.

Day 2 in Arizona

A look out back in the daytime hours reveals, oddly enough, a landscape NOT composed of hot lava, though if you step outside it doesn't feel that way. :) Anyway, out back of the hotel rises "A Mountain" as called by the locals, conveniently labeled as you can see from the picture:



Yes, we're over near Arizona State University... :)

I'd better get off - not only is the reg desk open, they're about to show Hogfather in a screening room. More later.

Day 2 continued

Actually not much more to say - went to see The Hogfather (which I've already seen to be sure, but it was fun seeing it on a bigger screen in a larger group.) Dropped by the party for a while after part one, as it was getting a bit late, hung around for a few minutes, then went back to the movie. Some folks have already started cosplay - if the guy in the Rincewind costume wears it later this con (a safe bet) I'll have to get a picture - very nice. The only cosplay I intend will be the dress from my old BroomHilda costume, an old pointy hat of Vicky's and some odds and ends to play Nanny Ogg at the Seamstress Guild Party. Vicky and a friend are going to do Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens. This is going to be much fun.

I've yet to eat in a hotel restaurant, since the nearest was closed and the pub Vicky and friends went over to last night is only a few feet away from the hotel and has excellent food. I think I know where I'm eating this trip.

Thanks to the hotel's provision of WiFi, and the good sense of whoever runs the convention website, I've downloaded the pdf of the pocket program into my Pocket PC. This is about as convenient as it gets.

Less convenient is the fact that since they're renovating the hotel, there's no way to get from the lobby to the wing we're in without going outside. Of course since most of the function rooms appear to open to the courtyard, I suppose there's no way around it anyway. Things were better today anyway - it was HOT but there wasn't all the mugginess we drove into last night.


And tomorrow morning the Dealer's Room opens at 10am, Opening Ceremonies is at 1 followed by other interesting stuff, and since the concom limited the membership to the number which would fit in the main function room, I don't have to worry about getting into various presentations and whatnot (like the Maskerade). This bodes well.

And I'd better get to sleep - this morning I didn't wake up until after 10... G'nite, all!