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Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life. |
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Sunday, January 18, 1998
I bought a ticket on Friday for the Sunday brunch put on by the con, but the proposed expedition for dim sum was so enticing, I decided to join it. Luke described the to-ing and fro-ing as our group tried to get together. It ended up that Freddie, Sheila and I all walked to the dim sum place, and we left just in time, since the rain started just as we got there.
The restaurant was large, and already packed. The people who had left a little earlier were already seated, so we got a table separate from them. Luke was sitting next to the aisle, so I reminded him to flag down the carts as they went by. I finally had my Fun! plus other good things recommended by Freddie.
Going for dim sum seems to be a fannish tradition, probably because it is suitable for a large group. We ate till we were stuffed, then had a few bites more. It was still raining (pouring!) when we left, so Freddie, Sheila and I grabbed a cab for the nine blocks back to the hotel. I was amazed that we lucked out by getting a cab, since it was Sunday morning and there wasn't much traffic in the neighborhood. When Geri Sullivan appeared back at the hotel, she was soaked to the skin!
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The main event for the afternoon was an auction to benefit Clarion West. This auction is one of the reasons we have Potlatch at all! So I always like to buy something. The items for sale are usually books, craft items, and a few special things.
At the midway point of the auction, Lauryn and Loren MacGregor made the formal announcement that Potlatch 8 will be in Eugene, Oregon, next year at this time. Yay! I bought my membership on the spot. Loren had talked the night before about how the Eugene fans didn't understand that this wasn't a convention bid that they needed to campaign for. No bid party needed. It's a natural rotation up and down the coast, since no one wants to put the con on year after year.
The most unusual item auctioned off was for Fred to take off his shorts. This was a ripoff, though, since he had another pair underneath. The hat was passed for two more items of his clothing, but he must have known that this was going to happen, due to the number of layers.
I bought a pink tshirt donated by Freddie (I had the design, but not in that color, and it was my size) and a great necklace of multicolored beads, to go with my patchwork dress. The auction didn't raise as much money as some have, but it wasn't terrible. I think we didn't have as many book collectors and book dealers there as in previous years.
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I was talking to Lucy after the auction. She asked again, as she had the previous night, what journals do I read? There were really too many to name. So then she asked who do I most enjoy? I named a few favorites. But it's tough! I had a real-life test of this when I arrived home Sunday night, since I couldn't get caught up with everyone at once. Who to read first?
We also had a bit of an HTML philosophy chat. I want this journal to be readable in all browsers, but if some don't make use of advanced features and the journal looks a bit different, that's OK with me. That's the nature of the web; we don't control appearance, the user does. Lucy has a slightly different attitude.
All too soon I had to leave, off to the airport with Amy Thomson, then home. It's good to go away, and good to get back! I love Potlatch. As one of my first cons, it is the platonic ideal of a convention to me. It's such a safe space, so many nice, smart people. I can't wait till next year!
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