Orycon I

I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.
-- Oscar Wilde

Friday, November 13, 1998
One year ago: Dance Marathon

I woke up early, probably earlier than I needed to. I wasn't sure how long it would take to get to the train station, since I had to move my car (I'd parked in a place that was a loading zone during daytime hours, so this was necessary), take the bus downtown, transfer to a bus tunnel bus, get out at the last tunnel station, walk a few blocks to the train station, and get my ticket.

Of course, this was all accomplished with forty-five minutes to spare! But I never mind arriving early somewhere. I was glad I had the time to walk around the main waiting room and look at the plans for the restoration of the building, to happen in the next few years. What were they thinking, to go from a high-ceilinged, stately room, to a nasty, low, cheapass-paneling, ugly, nasty mess?!!

They assign seats now on the train, but I'm not sure why. I was seated directly behind a group of eight older women (I guess they were about twenty years older than me) who were in high gig, extremely happy, lively and jolly. They were going on a shopping expedition to Centralia, a town midway between Seattle and Portland, where they have a lot of outlet malls. If you are in a group, you can arrange to have someone pick you up at the station and drive you around all day. Clever marketing on the part of the Centralia Chamber of Commerce, I think! Every remark they made was a source of infinite hilarity for them. I even enjoyed the old joke one of them told about the woman and the pepper, all the more because I think a member of the group didn't really get it, and the others teased her about it.

I enjoyed the bagels and berry-flavored cream cheese I'd brought along for my breakfast, and accepted a biscotti from the shopping women, who were going up and down the aisle passing them out. I relaxed and read my book and looked out the window, but I didn't really sleep at all. Things were very quiet after the shoppers de-trained, but I did chat with a woman and her son who were seated behind me. They were also going to Orycon, so we made plans to share a cab.

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We got off at the last station in Washington State, in Vancouver. It's in the middle of an industrial area. It's much closer to the Jantzen Beach area where the hotel is located, than if we rode all the way to downtown Portland. The cab that was there was already on a mission, so the driver called for another one to come fetch us. A man got off the train as well, and rode with us since he was going to the con, too.

At the hotel I went directly to the line where they were selling con memberships. I knew that there would only be a limited number sold before the convention was declared sold out! And I really wanted to make sure Jack got in. The man I shared a cab with did the same, since he needed a con badge for himself.

Wait, wait, wait. I was glad when Kate Yule came by and handed me the latest issue of Bento. That's a zine that she and David Levine produce, and the issue they had mailed to me had been bounced back by the evil post office. I spent some time chatting with folks in the line, which was going nowhere fast. Even when they actually got the computer going and started sales, it was a slow process, and people were rumored to be buying more than one membership. I was not so far back from the beginning of the line, but I was anxious.

My cab buddy (he's into trains, too) lucked out when a dealer who had an extra guest membership came by and offered to sell it to him. He even bargained down from fifty to forty five dollars, which I thought was taking a risk! I'd have been willing to pay a premium! But the dealer was trying to do a good deed, and even said he usually picked out someone from the line when he had an extra badge, who looked like they wouldn't be paying by check.

More waiting...Finally a young woman came by with an extra membership, and I piped up quickly and grabbed it. Much walking ensued, to the other hotel to get the actual badge, then back to the con hotel (they are twins on either side of the interstate highway; you walk back and forth underneath the bridge across the Columbia River) to transfer the membership. At last I was free! Free to walk again to the hotel where I was actually staying, the Oxford Suites. Less expensive than the official con hotel, and you get a free meal each morning.

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Since I'm writing this after the fact, now is the point where I need to refer to my pocket program to keep straight what I did when. I think I spent several hours in the Fanzine Lounge, talking to various folks. We are truly fortunate to get such a nice facility at Orycon; it's a suite on the main hall, near the main hospitality suite, the internet facilities (I checked mail a few times), the video room, and the con offices. Thanks to Janice Murray (second from the left in the background), Marci Malinowycz (on the left in the background) and the other good folks who worked to make it happen. We had snacks and beverages available, lots of good folks to chat with, and, in the second room of the suite, comfy chairs and couches. I barely set foot in the official hospitality suite!

Jerry Kaufman and Suzle Tomkins, Lucy Huntzinger, Lise Eisenberg, Vicki Rosenzweig and I went out to dinner at Waddles. This is a coffee shop and down-home restaurant where Luke and VJ and I had breakfast at last year's Orycon. Our waitress was on the salty side, and she and Lise had it going on, right from the discussion of tomato-based vs. milk-based clam chowder. Neither one was putting up with any guff from each other.

Lucy dropped Jerry and me off at our hotel, and I got changed for the evening. Black velour tshirt and short skirt for me; I don't remember what Jerry wore.

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I stopped in again at the internet cafe to process my email. The guy who was running it took this picture; I was pleased that he took the trouble to get me to pose in a flattering way. I took some pictures documenting the whole room and gave them to him. They had an interesting setup, with a "tuning fork" microwave antenna on the balcony outside the room. They seemed to be fighting hardware battles all day long, getting some slowish machines ready to run.

I went to Aahz's "Rule 6"/RASSFF party, where I spoke to Lauryn and Loren MacGregor about Potlatch 8, which is happening this January in Eugene, Oregon. This was where the bed broke about ten minutes after the party started, which isn't as exciting as it sounds -- the load limit was exceeded when someone (not me!) sat down on the bed. This is a good spot to show the gift that Loren and Lauryn received from Geri Sullivan: a rather disturbing candle shaped like a bikini-wearing frog.

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I was at various parties for the next few hours. Edd Vick and Amy Thomson celebrated their respective 40th birthdays in the fanzine room; last year we had done Art Widner's 80th birthday. Next year we will dragoon four twenty-year-olds, which is do-able. But at Orycon 22, how will we find 80 one-year-olds? We must start the cloning program now!

I realized I was getting tired when I found myself just sitting in a chair and letting the party wash over me. I was wondering where Jack was! So I decided to go back to the room. Just as I was about to walk through the hotel door, he came out, on his way to look for me. I was so happy to see him! I know we went back to the convention, but I don't remember the details of who we talked to or where we went.